MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — A woman accused of accidentally starting the massive five-alarm fire that destroyed an abandoned building on Milwaukee’s north side faced a court commissioner for the first time Tuesday.
Twenty-two-year-old Ellen Stevens appeared in court on a charge of negligent handling of burning material, a Class A misdemeanor tied to last week’s fire near 32nd St. and Hampton Avenue.
“This is a Class A misdemeanor,” Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey said in court. “If you’re later convicted of this offense, you may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than nine months, or both.”
The criminal complaint says Stevens admitted she had been exploring the vacant four-story building with friends before the fire started…