Man charged in connection with Jan. 2 explosion

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Updated: February 29, 2012 8:06AM

DEERFIELD — Police have charged a resident with two felonies in connection with a Jan. 2 explosion and fire that burned him.

Steven Hughes, 47, who lives in an apartment of a home at 1033 Osterman Ave., was allegedly trying to manufacture dimethyltryptamine, a psychedelic controlled substance, in his kitchen, Deerfield Deputy Police Chief Thomas Keane said Friday.

Hughes was charged Thursday with the use of a dangerous place for the commission of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, and the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance, a Class 3 felony, Keane said.

If found guilty, Hughes faces up to 15 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. He was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Lake County Circuit Court on Feb. 15 in Waukegan.

Deerfield, Bannockburn and Riverwoods Fire Protection District personnel and Deerfield police responded to the report of an explosion and fire at 6:30 a.m. Jan. 2, according to a report.

They found Hughes, who was suffering from burns, and rushed him to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.

In the meantime, officers noted little damage to the house, but found the presence of “home remedy” type medicinal products at the scene, which may have contributed to the accident, Keane said.

The products were sent to a lab for analysis. Tests indicated the presence of DMT, a hallucinogenic. After conferring with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Keane issued a warrant for Hughes’ arrest.