SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Back in June of 2015 the City of Plymouth dealt with two fires within a three day span. The first was at a warehouse on East Clifford Street on June 19, and the second was at the Henry Huson Water Tower on June 21. It took just over two months to connect two Plymouth area residents as suspects to the fires.
Sheboygan County prosecutors charged 35-year-old Andrew Manderle and 20-year-old Kylie Unterweger last month with two arson felonies each. Both made their initial court appearances Friday, with Manderle entering not guilty pleas while Unterweger will have a preliminary hearing on Friday, February 26.
The criminal complaint details how Plymouth Police and the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigations reached their conclusions.
It begins with the investigation into the water tower fire. At the scene, officers reportedly found a book of matches with one match missing on a walking path about 20 yards from the tower, along with a Bic lighter in the vicinity. An investigation into that fire determined it was likely started on the ground floor, but what was first declared “undetermined” later was classified as “incendiary."
It was not until August 5 that investigators got a lead on possible suspects. A female came forward to clear her name after rumors began circulating that she was the one responsible for setting both fires. She also mentioned Unterweger as a possible accomplice to the fires.
Investigators interviewed Unterweger that same day, and she initially claimed she knew nothing about the water tower fire until hearing about it on Facebook. However, she changed her story and said she acted alone. She said she broke into the tower through a window so that she could do some “chilling." At one point, she claimed she set some “miscellaneous garbage” she had with her on fire on a cement pad in the back of the tower, and put lighter fluid on it. She added she thought she put the fire out before leaving.
Unterweger also claimed responsibility for the warehouse fire at the same time. She reportedly said that fire was “probably” caused by the cigarette butts she smoked inside after she broke a window to get inside and looked around for tools to take and sell.
On August 24, however, Unterweger changed her story about the fires after saying she had not provided the whole truth. She then claimed the water tower fire was set by Manderle alone as she waited a distance away. As for the warehouse fire, Unterweger claimed both she and Manderle set several small fires to plastic and foam inside the structure, then left once they saw the wood inside was burning.
Investigators reached out to Manderle, who was at the Sheboygan County Detention Center. When asked about the fires, Manderle reportedly said Kylie didn’t really have anything to do with it, but would not provide any more information unless these incidents were prosecuted in federal court.
Both suspects now face up to 80 years in prison if they are found guilty of both charges.