Officer Melissa Kronebusch Accused of Arson Plans to Marry Firefighter

A Saukville police officer charged with setting fire to a vacant home in March is scheduled to be married this month to one of the firefighters who responded and extinguished the blaze, according to statements made in court Tuesday.

Melissa L. Kronebusch, 26, a three-year veteran of the Saukville Police Department, is charged with one count of arson and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, both felonies for which she could be sentenced to 50 years in prison if convicted.

According to a criminal complaint, Kronebusch was spotted on a surveillance video in the backyard of the house at 625 E. Green Bay Road, next door to the Saukville Police Department, around 12:30 a.m. on March 20.

About 20 minutes later, the video shows a glow visible in the southwest basement window of the house, which was owned by the village.

The video then shows Kronebusch leaving the adjacent parking lot in her squad car, driving through smoke that was already coming from the house, and then returning a few minutes later, at which time she reported the house on fire, the complaint says.

Saukville firefighters responded and extinguished the fire, which started in the basement. The fire caused $5,000 damage to the house, the complaint says.

One of the four firefighters named in the complaint as having responded to the blaze was in court Tuesday and was identified by Kronebusch's lawyer, Michael Guerin, as her fiancé.

The couple's wedding is planned for Oct. 10, he said.

Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Joseph D. McCormack set bail for Kronebusch at $5,000. Kronebusch posted bail Tuesday and was released from the Ozaukee County Jail.

District Attorney Sandy Williams had asked for $50,000 bail, while Guerin requested that Kronebusch be released on her own recognizance.

Kronebusch appeared in court via teleconference, clad in a jail-issued orange jumpsuit, and occasionally dabbed tears from her eyes.

McCormack ordered that conditions of Kronebusch's bail include having no contact with members of the Saukville police or fire departments, except for her fiancé, and that she not leave the state except to visit her parents' home in Altura, Minn., just across the state line near La Crosse.

That means those from the police and fire departments involved in the wedding will not be able to attend, Guerin told McCormack.

Guerin said in an interview that Kronebusch will plead not guilty to the charges.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Saukville Police Chief Bill Meloy said Kronebusch was placed on paid administrative leave on June 26 and will remain there until an internal investigation is completed.

"This was a complete surprise to us," Meloy said in an interview, adding that Kronebusch has been a reliable member of his department during her tenure.

The Saukville Police Department employs eight patrol officers, two clerical workers and three officers, including the chief.