Last week Thursday, 57 year-old Anthony Gonzalez of Sturgeon Bay was taken into custody in regards to the early morning fire last Tuesday which gutted Butch’s Bar in downtown Sturgeon Bay. There were 2 fatalities associated with that fire, one tenant was transported to Milwaukee for his burns, and other tenants were displaced from their home. Gonzalez now faces 2 counts of 2nd degree reckless homicide, 5 counts of 2nd degree reckless endangering safety, and one count of negligent handling of a burning material. On Friday, he appeared via Zoom to his bond hearing in the Door County Circuit Court when Judge D. Todd Ehlers set his cash bond at $250,000. Monday, Gonzalez had his initial appearance in court during which the criminal complaint was filed. In this complaint, Gonzalez states that the fire started in his upstairs room after he attempted filling his Zippo lighter with butane lighter fluid, much of the fluid spilled onto his mattress, and when he attempted the light a cigarette his mattress caught fire and it spread from there. Gonzalez’s attorney requested his cash bond be reduced to a reasonable amount coupled with a $50,000 signature bond. The state strongly opposed such a bond modification, denying this request, and his cash bond remains at $250,000. Now, a preliminary hearing for Gonzales has been set for March 31st at 1:15 pm.
