By SARAH SMALL WHEATON – A Villa Park man accused of starting a house fire last summer that killed Paula Morgan in her Lombard home and severely burned Jason Cassidy, currently of Lombard, appeared in court Wednesday for a hearing. Todd Mandoline, 24, appeared in court before Judge John Kinsella where a DVD showing a portion of his interview with members of the Lombard Police Department was presented to the courtroom. Later, John Malatia, detective sergeant with the Lombard Police Department, was questioned by the prosecution and defense. Mandoline was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated arson, one count of residential arson and one count of criminal damage to property. In the early-morning hours
of July 22, 2012, Mandoline allegedly stuck a piece of paper into the fuel tank of Morgan’s car as it Todd was parked in Mandoline the driveway of her Lombard home and lit it on fire. The flames engulfed the car and then spread to the adjacent home in the 1000 block of South Ahrens Avenue. The video presented in court Wednesday showed Mandoline being interviewed by the police. He described watching Morgan’s house late into the night, after he had allegedly been taken home from a birthday party at her home, and eventually igniting her car. “I lit it and I walked away,” he said. He and Morgan had previously been in a dating relationship. In the tapes, the detectives ask Mandoline if he
was trying to teach Morgan a lesson. “I don’t know what point I was trying to prove,” he said. At the conclusion of the video, Malatia was called to testify. He described the investigative work done by the police department that eventually led them to Mandoline, and the subsequent interview process with him. During the interrogation by the police, Mandoline allegedly requested to call his lawyer, but later waived his right to having a lawyer present. Before Kinsella called a recess at noon, the defense side was cross-examining Malatia to determine when Mandoline’s decision to not call a lawyer was made. Video surveillance of him deciding to do so is not available because he was allegedly outside having a cigarette at the time, where cameras were not posted. Mandoline is due to appear in court again Oct. 30.
By SARAH SMALL ssmall@shawmedia.com LOMBARD – On Thursday, the Village Board of Trustees was scheduled to hold a special meeting where the calendar year 2014 budgets would be presented for the Finance Department and general services, the Public Works Department and the Fire Department. According to board documents, the Finance Department’s proposed budget for the coming year totals $2,406,808 and is a 7.49 percent decrease from last year’s amended budget. Significant changes to the budget can be attributed to the department’s risk management function being moved to the Village Manager’s Office, the village’s vehicle sticker program being eliminated and certain department employees taking advantage of the available early retirement incentives. The proposed budget that
was expected to be presented by the Public Works Department is $4,846,813, which is a 0.43 percent increase from last year. According to board documents, one of the main reasons for the increase is because of additional expenses for training. The department has 19 employees who will have taken advantage of the early retirement incentives by March 2014. The department faces costs of training the new employees and ones who have been promoted. The Public Works Department’s proposal also included a water and sewer fund, which was presented at $14,525,650 or a 4.27 percent increase from calendar year 2013. This increase reflects, among other things, an increase in the cost of purchasing Lake Michigan water from the city of Chicago. In 2014, the cost of buying the water is budgeted to be $874,870 more than in 2013. The Lombard Fire De-
partment also was expected to present a budget of $11,230,617, an increase of 4.81 percent from last year’s amended budget. Part of this increase was attributed risk management expenses being reallocated to the fire department budget, new collective bargaining agreements that dictate salaries and an increase in pension responsibilities by the department. To reduce expenses, the department has reduced the fulltime secretaries’ positions to two, part-time jobs without benefits. Last week, budget hearings were held for the Community Development Department, Lombard Police Department, Legislative Department and Executive Department with proposed budgets of $1,504,380; $14,285,480; $589,700; and $2,197,330 respectively. To find out what happened at Thursday’s meeting, visit mysuburbanlife.com/lombard.
GERRY C. ARNOLD Gerry C. Arnold, age 85, of Lombard, passed away August 26, 2013. Arrangements by Brust Funeral Home. 630-629-0094
GRACE M. MILLER Grace M. Miller, nee DeMasi, age 86, of Lombard, passed away August 28, 2013. Arrangements by Brust Funeral Home. 630-629-0094
JOHN JOSEPH DEMPSEY John Joseph Dempsey, age 91, of Villa Park, passed away August 25, 2013. Arrangements by Steuerle Funeral Home. 630-832-4161
MARTIN C. MAZURK Martin C. Mazurk, age 89, of Elmhurst, passed away August 26, 2013. Arrangements by Steuerle Funeral Home. 630-832-4161.
MIRIAM M. HAVEMANNLEMKE Miriam M. Havemann-Lemke, age 98, of Lombard passed away August 27, 2013. Arrangements by Steuerle Funeral Home. 630-832-4161
RICHARD SCHUMACKER Richard Schumacker, age 86, of Elmhurst, US Army Veteran, passed away, Friday, August 23, 2013. Visitation and services at the Pedersen Ryberg Mortuary. For info 1-630-834-1133 or www.pedersenryberg.com
Send information to obits@ mysuburbanlife.com or call 866-817-3278. Most obituaries appear online. To leave a message of condolence in the online guest book, go to obituaries. mysuburbanlife.com
STEVEN MICHAEL PURTELL Steven Michael Purtell, age 49, of Warrenville, passed away suddenly at home on August 24, 2013. He grew up in Elmhurst and lived most of his life in Warrenville. He is survived by his daughter, Courtney; his son, Dakota “Cody”; his mother, Gerrie; his sister, Laura McMinn; soul-mate, Myra Quick; his niece, Amanda; his aunt, Pat; and many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe, and all his grandparents. A visitation was held on August 28, 2013, at Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, Wheaton. Info: 630-668-0016 or expressions of sympathy at www.williams-kampp.com
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Board to meet for budget hearings
Alice Nagel nee Straetz, age 98, of Oakbrook Terrace, and formerly of Elmhurst. Beloved wife of the late Dr. Harry Thomas Nagel; mother of Steve, Jean (Richard) Stonesifer and the late Thomas P.; grandmother of Dylan and Carly Stonesifer; sister of the late Robert & Ralph Straetz. Services and Interment Private. Arrangements by Ahlgrim Funeral Home. Info 630-834-3515 or www.ahlgrim.com.
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Evidence presented at hearing for man accused of setting deadly fire