A 21-year-old Dodge County man has been charged with arson following a Thursday afternoon fire that damaged a Lomira duplex, according to FOX6 News. The accused, Connor Bralich, was identified as a resident of the upper unit of the building located on the 900 block of Main Street, prosecutors stated that Bralich allegedly set the blaze and then fled the scene, with the subsequent manhunt leading to his arrest in West Bend, where upon being informed of the fire by detectives, he purportedly confessed, saying: "I know, I did it."
Firefighters who responded to multiple 911 calls on Thursday around 3:40 p.m. managed to rescue two dogs from the residence, though no people were home at the time of the incident, WISN reported, witnesses at the scene described a suspicious individual in the vicinity just before the fire took hold Bralich was subsequently linked to the crime through the utilisation of automated license plate readers which led to his capture around two hours after the fire was first reported.
The apprehension of Bralich was further facilitated by the Flock Camera system, allowing for a swift resolution once a suspect had been identified, according to information retrieved from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office by KFIZ; he was observed leaving the location with a gas can shortly before the fire erupted. Bralich, now faced with the charge of Arson to a Building, remains detained at the Dodge County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.
Dodge County authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident in collaboration with the State Fire Marshal, and Bralich is due to return to court for a review hearing on February 5 having made his initial court appearance yesterday; a Preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 27, during which it is expected further details of the case will be disclosed as prosecutors build their case against the young man accused of deliberately lighting the fire that endangered property and lives alike, though fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
