Man who blew up house in suicide try cited

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill., May 3 (UPI) -- A man who allegedly blew up his suburban Chicago home in a failed suicide bid last year has been charged with residential arson, officials say.

Prosecutors say Michael Cheney, 41, turned on the gas in his Buffalo Grove, Ill., home, then phoned friends to say he was committing suicide. One of them called the police, and when officers arrived, Cheney allegedly flicked a cigarette lighter, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday.

The resulting blast blew out the home's windows and part of its roof, officials said. Cheney reportedly suffered serious burns in the November incident and was hospitalized until January.

Prosecutors said they charged Cheney with residential arson -- a serious charge brought for setting fire to someone else's home -- because his girlfriend co-owned the house, but attorney Joseph Di Natale told the court Cheney should face lesser charges because he paid the mortgage, the Sun-Times reported.