A woman charged in connection with a large fire at an abandoned warehouse on Milwaukee’s north side will pay $6,000 in restitution and spend a year on probation.
Ellen Stevens, 23, of Milwaukee, pleaded guilty on Aug. 13 to negligent handling of burning material, a misdemeanor.
Stevens told Circuit Court Judge Marisabel Cabrera during sentencing she was “so indescribably grateful” that no one was injured in the massive May 20 fire that she confessed to accidentally igniting with a discarded cigarette.
She apologized to Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ, which owns the now-gutted warehouse, and to the scores of firefighters who responded to the five-alarm blaze that day.
Cabrera imposed a sentence of six months of incarceration for Stevens but stayed its execution. She then ordered Stevens to serve 12 months on probation.
The blaze, which erupted near West Hampton Avenue and North 32nd Street, was so large and intense the Milwaukee Fire Department had to bring in dozens of firefighters and surrounding agencies to put it out.
According to a criminal complaint, Stevens had posted videos on social media inside the warehouse shortly before the fire, along with videos where Stevens said she believes she set off the inferno by accident after discarding a burning cigarette.
The property was once a large tannery complex and is owned by an organization affiliated with Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ, which has redeveloped several buildings in the area.
The influential Black church, once led by Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, is one of Milwaukee’s largest.
Themba Munzondo, Holy Redeemer’s chief financial officer, testified Holy Redeemer has owned the property since 1986, but that it had not insured it for at least the last nine years. The church has gotten estimates of $4 million to demolish the building and $8 million to clear off the property and rebuild, he said.
Stevens also must perform 200 hours of community service and is prohibited from possessing of any type of incendiary materials with the exception of those in her home and workplace; she last worked as a baker.
Her $6,000 restitution is to be paid at a rate of $500 a month.
Chris Ramirez covers courts for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at caramirez@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee woman gets probation, must pay $6,000 for warehouse fire
Reporting by Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Ramirez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
