By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — A 39-year-old man is facing arson charges in connection with a 2016 fire that damaged a Wausau Tavern.
Tony J. Patterson, Jr., whose address is listed on court documents as “homeless,” is being held in the Marathon County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond. He is due in court next week for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence for his case to move forward.
Patterson is accused of setting the fire in the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2016 at Cabaret, 204 E. Rib Mountain Drive. The blaze was reported at about 5 a.m. and caused significant damage to the tavern, according to police.
Patterson was a person of interest in the case early on after a bartender reported seeing him drive by the tavern several times one day after Patterson was booted from the tavern for fighting, police said.
In addition to felony arson charges, Patterson also faces charges of criminal trespassing, theft, obstruction and disorderly conduct in three separate cases filed Tuesday. If he is convicted on the arson charge alone, he faces a maximum of 40 years in prison.
