By Shereen Siewert
A Wausau man who set two fires in the Wausau area in December, including a sober living home, will spend at least five years in prison after he was convicted on arson charges last month.
Alexander Krohn, 28, was the subject of a manhunt in December, after the fires were set. He was captured in Rotshchild.
On Dec. 21, prosecutors filed charges of arson, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, resisting or obstructing an officer and bail jumping in connection with the fires.
The the charges stem from a call at about 12:30 a.m. Dec. 18 regarding a structure fire at a home in the 300 block of North Third Avenue, a sober living home. When crews arrived, heavy smoke was pouring from the second story of the building. All residents were accounted for except for Krohn. The blaze began in Krohn’s room, according to the police report, and a resident told police he opened the door of the room to see flames after smelling smoke and hearing a smoke detector alarm.
Fire crews extinguished the blaze, but Krohn’s room was heavily damaged, police said.
During the time that crews were battling the Third Avenue blaze, a second fire was reported in the 1400 block of Lake Street, a home owned by one of Krohn’s family members. Two people inside the home said they were sleeping when they were awakened by a loud crash. The two residents then saw flames on the south side of the home, which was heavily damaged in the blaze.
Police say Krohn did not properly notify staff he was leaving the sober living home, nor did he sign out. Officers noted that five smoke detectors were removed completely and one had batteries removed from the interior of the building. Two, which were not easily accessible, remained, according to court records.
Court records show Krohn was convicted in 2019 of fleeing an officer and possession of methamphetamine. He was released in October 2020 from prison and already had two new open cases pending in Marathon County Circuit Court before his most recent arrest.
As part of a plea agreement, Krohn pleaded no contest to charges of arson and of second-degree recklessly endangering safety. All other charges were dropped. Circuit Judge Greg Huber ordered Krohn to spend five years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision, court records show.
Krohn was also ordered to pay $3,490 in restitution to two separate victims.
