Man Charged After House Fire Seriously Injures Father
CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich: On June 28, 2026, at approximately 11:44 p.m., Kent County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded with the Caledonia Fire Department to a residential structure fire in the 7100 block of Channel Drive SE in Caledonia Township.
While deputies were nearing the address, a portion of the home collapsed. When deputies arrived, they learned a 77-year-old male resident had exited the home but became unresponsive with serious injuries from the fire. Deputies immediately began CPR and were able to restore the man’s pulse and breathing before an ambulance arrived. The man was transported to the hospital in critical condition and remains hospitalized.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division continued the investigation with fire investigators from the Plainfield Charter Township Fire Department, Cascade Township Fire Department, and the Michigan State Police K9 Team. Investigators determined the fire originated in the 77-year-old man’s bedroom.
On July 8, 2026, after a detailed joint investigation, the case was submitted to the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office. The Prosecutor’s Office authorized charges of First-Degree Arson and Assault with Intent to Murder against 54-year-old Tom Chehowski III of Caledonia. Chehowski is the son of the victim and lived at the residence with him. Chehowski was arrested in Gratiot County, Michigan, with assistance from the Gratiot County Sheriff’s Office and later lodged at the Kent County Correctional Facility.
KCSO thanks our law enforcement and fire service partners for their valuable assistance in this case.
If you have information that could help to move the investigation forward, please call the KCSO at 616-632-6125, or submit a tip to Silent Observer online or at 616-774-2345.
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