FOND DU LAC COUNTY (NBC 26) — A young Menasha man who allegedly set a local congressman's office on fire after learning of a possible TikTok ban is facing a $500,000 cash bond.
Caiden Stachowicz, 19, made his first appearance in a Fond du Lac County courtroom Wednesday morning.
According to a criminal complaint, Stachowicz set fire to Congressman Glenn Grothman's office in Fond du Lac because the Republican wanted TikTok to be sold from its Chinese owner, ByteDance.
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Stachowicz told police that he wasn't hoping anyone was inside the building, and that he didn't want to harm Congressman Grothman or anyone else, according to the complaint.
Stachowicz is charged with arson, terrorist threat, attempted burglary, and criminal damage to property.
“We are grateful for the quick actions of the Fond du Lac Police and Fire Departments that ensured nobody was injured in this attack and prevented more significant property damage," Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said in a news release. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone that attempts to intimidate government officials from performing their lawful duties, regardless of whether we agree with the government action."
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The suspect is scheduled to appear in court again for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.
According to the District Attorney, this case remains under investigation by the City of Fond du Lac Police Department with assistance from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Vance Henning of the Fond du Lac Police Department at 920-322-3725.
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