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Fond du Lac arson; man accused of setting fire over TikTok ban
A Menasha man accused of setting fire to an office space leased to U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman over the short-lived TikTok ban appeared in court on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - A Menasha man accused of setting fire to an office space leased to U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman over the short-lived TikTok ban appeared in court on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Caiden Stachowicz, 19, is charged with arson, terrorist threat, attempted burglary and criminal damage to property.
Caiden Stachowicz
Arson investigation
What we know:
The complaint alleges Stachowicz set fire to Congressman Grothman’s Office because the Congressman voted "Yes" to require a sale of TikTok.
Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19 Fond du Lac officers and Fond du Lac Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire at 525 N. Peters Avenue. Officers arrived and used fire extinguishers to hold the fire in check until fire companies arrived and extinguished the fire.
Police located Stachowicz near the strip mall. Officials say he admitted to starting the fire in response to recent talks of a TikTok ban.
The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.
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The matter remains under investigation by the City of Fond du Lac Police Department with assistance from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation.
In court
What we know:
Prosecutors say Stachowicz believed a TikTok shut down was against his rights and that he'd held peaceful protests, but that "peace isn't an option anymore" and that "he wished the whole building would have burned down."
"The defendant sought out Representative Grothman’s office in an effort to burn it down because Congressman Grothman voted ‘yes’ to force a sale of the social media app TikTok," prosecutor Eric Toney said.
Caiden Stachowicz
In his initial appearance, his attorney noted he has no criminal history and lives at home with his parents and siblings in Appleton.
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Cash bond was set at $500,000. Stachowicz is due back in court on Jan. 30 for a preliminary hearing.
Grothman responds
What they're saying:
"I think it's unusual he never called us first. His first way to send a message to his congressman was to light the building on fire," Grothman said. "It was such a foolish decision by him – he’s only 19 years old. If he wouldn’t have done anything, TikTok would have been back on the air in a couple days."
Caiden Stachowicz
Did you see anything?
What you can do:
If you have information related to this incident or believe you may have information, you are urged to contact the City of Fond du Lac Police Department at 920-906-5555 or the Crime Alert line at 920-322-3740, callers can request to remain anonymous.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Fond du Lac Police Department, and the Fond du Lac County District Attorney's Office.