Jan. 24--Two teenagers were charged with arson Thursday in connection with a fire at the El Rey Family Market that caused an estimated $750,000 in damage.
Alexander J. Karsten, 17, and Miguel Rubio, 18, pleaded not guilty to the charge stemming from the fire Jan. 3 in the 5200 block of W. Oklahoma Ave., according to court records.
According to a criminal complaint, the two, who were caught on surveillance video outside the store just before the fire erupted, claimed they did not intentionally start the fire.
They said they were lighting and smoking cigarette butts and flicking them toward garbage carts. However fire investigators determined the blaze began in a shopping cart enclosure just after the video shows Karsten and Rubio walking away.
They also determined that the butts would not have generated enough heat in such a short period of time to start the fire, according to the complaint.
Karsten and Rubio were free on $10,000 signature bonds Thursday.
Copyright 2013 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
