Illinois Couple's Home Destroyed on Wedding Day After Guest Sets It on Fire

Tom Davis and Eleni Vrettos were exchanging wedding vows in Cicero, Illinois, on February 19, 2025, when an explosion destroyed their home on the 2200 block of Central Avenue. One person was killed and 11 families were displaced. Surveillance footage later identified 31-year-old Anthony Avila-Puebla - a wedding guest who had slipped away from the ceremony - carrying 5-gallon jugs of flammable liquid into the home. His remains were later recovered from the debris; investigators concluded he had initiated the fire and died in it.

The Explosion

At approximately 5 p.m., the blast leveled the couple’s two-story home, shattering windows in surrounding buildings. The Cicero Fire Department responded, but the structure had already been largely consumed. The explosion displaced 11 neighboring families and killed one person. The couple was at a separate venue celebrating their wedding at the time and was unaware of what was happening.

For Vrettos, the loss extended beyond the structure - her parents had owned the building for nearly 40 years, and she had lived there her entire life. The couple also lost six cats in the blaze: Bambi, Tucker, Reya, Graham, Old Boy, and Grey. “So now I don’t have a home and on top of it, I don’t have them,” she told LADbible. “That’s the most devastating.”

The Suspect and the Motive

Investigators identified Avila-Puebla via surveillance footage showing him entering the home with jugs of flammable liquid during the ceremony. He was never seen leaving. Police confirmed he had a connection to someone living in the home but did not disclose further details. His motive was not publicly established.

A GoFundMe campaign for the couple raised nearly $57,000. The couple had no insurance coverage at the time, as they were in the process of transferring their home insurance policy.

References: Couple loses home on wedding day in Cicero explosion; 1 dead and others displaced by the blast | Bride and Groom’s Home Exploded When They Said ‘I Do.’ A Wedding Guest Was the Culprit, Say Police | Bride and groom forced to leave wedding after their house was blown up by guest mid-ceremony