A Sturgeon Bay man is behind bars after being arrested for his potential role in a fire that killed two people, sent another to a Milwaukee burn center, and destroyed a building.
The Sturgeon Bay Police Department announced on Friday afternoon that 57-year-old Anthony Gonzalez was arrested for two counts of second-degree reckless homicide (Class D Felony) and seven counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety (Class G Felony). Gonzalez was a resident of the building that consisted of Butch’s Bar and a number of residential units. Gonzalez’s arrest was the result of multiple interviews and the investigation into the cause of the fire. He was taken to Door County Jail without incident and had his bond hearing at the Door County Justice Center at 3:30 p.m.
The fire reportedly began when Gonzalez spilt lighter fluid on his bed refilling a lighter and ignited the blaze accidentally when lighting a cigarette.
Two bodies were removed from the scene Thursday after it was deemed safe to do so. They were taken to Madison to be identified by the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office and the names will not be released until family members are notified.
