CALUMET CITY, Ill. (AP) -- An elderly woman has died after lit fireworks were slipped into the mail slot of her home, sparking a fire over the Independence Day weekend.
Police have accused a 16-year-old boy of putting the fireworks into Eleanore Moll's mail slot. The teen has been charged in juvenile court with aggravated arson, but Police Chief Patrick O'Meara said those charges could be upgraded.
Moll had been in critical condition at an Indiana hospital since the July 3 fire.
The curtains in Moll's home ignited, spreading smoke throughout the residence, but Moll was able to call 911 before collapsing. When firefighters found her, she was not breathing and had no pulse.
Moll, 76, never regained consciousness, family members said.
