Annie Pulley
RACINE — Robert Staton, who was charged in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the historic Meinhardt mansion in Burlington, pleaded not guilty Thursday during an arraignment in Racine County Circuit Court.
Staton, who has owned the mansion at 201 S. Kane St. since July, was charged with one misdemeanor count of negligent handling of burning materials and two felony bail jumping charges.
He was arrested about four hours after police found the home engulfed in flames at about 3:20 a.m. Nov. 22.
Staton posted a $15,000 cash bond Dec. 3 and is scheduled to appear for a status conference Feb. 3.
According to the criminal complaint, the iconic, 142-year-old mansion is now "uninhabitable." The structure suffered significant fire damage; the second story "is virtually gone" and the home's tower is now unstable.
 |
The Meinhardt mansion at 201 S. Kane St. in Burlington. |
Allegations
An officer with the Burlington Police Department reportedly arrived at Kane Street about 3:20 a.m. and found the mansion in flames and Staton sitting in a vehicle nearby.
The police report notes that the home was in a state of demolition and remodeling before the fire.
Staton reportedly said that he did not know what happened and told the officer to "arrest whoever is in there," adding that he was unsure who was in the house.
According to the complaint, Staton said someone was "trashing" the house, although he could not name anyone and officers found no one else at the scene.
After giving multiple statements to officers, Staton allegedly admitted that he started fires in four fireplaces in the home using cardboard and wood to "keep the workers warm" when they arrived the next day.
Staton reportedly said that after he lit the fires he went to sleep, and when he woke up he saw smoke and ran from the house.
Police also spoke with a home inspector, who reported that two of the house's fireplaces had been "blocked off" and would have to have been breached in order for fires to be started, the complaint said.
The report also stated that the house's fireplaces were designed for coal and were not suitable for wood fires because of the shallow depth of the firebox, the complaint said.
Additionally, according to the complaint, detectives learned that on Nov. 21, Staton reportedly approached a Burlington fire inspector at a fast-food restaurant drive-thru, thanked him for his service and allegedly gave him a $100 bill.
According to the complaint, the inspector tried to give the money back but Staton allegedly thew it into the inspector's vehicle. The complaint said the inspector was unsure what to do, so he used the money to pay for Staton's $40 food order and left.
When the inspector was stopped a a nearby traffic light, he reportedly rolled down his window and thanked Staton.
According to the complaint, Staton allegedly said: "No problem, if my house at 201 Kane Street ever catches fire, just let it burn!"
Staton denied making the statement, according to the complaint.
No comments:
Post a Comment