House Fire Arson Suspects Approached Police Officer Directing Traffic

Two of the three Greenfield men suspected to be involved in last Tuesday’s for many drivers approached a police officer and asked about the fire as the officer was assisting in traffic control.

According to the criminal complaint filed with the Milwaukee County District Attorney on Friday, brothers Joseph Konczal, 20, and David Konczal, 19, approached Greenfield Police Officer Christopher DeGlopper at approximately 7:15 a.m., , while DeGlopper was directing traffic at the intersection of West Loomis Road and the Interstate 894 eastbound off-ramp.

The complaint states Joseph Konczal called out to DeGlopper and asked what all the traffic was about. DeGlopper informed him of the .

“All of this for a fire?” Joseph Konczal asked DeGlopper, according to the complaint.

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The Konczal brothers and Mike Cartagena, 19, all of Greenfield, were later identified in surveillance photos from the scene and .

When questioned, Cartagena told police the three of them were at Joseph Konczal’s house at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning when they decided to burn down the house.

He told police they walked to the house and pried off a piece of plywood covering the entrance. At this point, David Konczal, according to Cartagena, became nervous and left. Cartagena admitted he sprayed lighter fluid in the upstairs and lit curtains on fire using a lighter, and said Joseph Konczal lit the fires in the rooms with long matches.

Cartagena and Joseph Konczal were charged Friday with arson of a building. The felony carries a maximum punishment of $100,000 in fines, up to 40 years in prison, or both. Cartagena has a preliminary court date Friday, July 29; Konczal’s preliminary court date is Tuesday, Aug. 2.

David Konczal received a municipal ticket for trespassing.

The building was owned by the City of Greenfield, which was in the process of obtaining bids for its demolition, according to the complaint. According to Rick Sokol, the Director of Neighborhood Services, the arson increased the cost of demolition. The site was considered a public safety hazard and rubble needed to be removed with 48 hours after the fire had been extinguished. In the complaint, Sokol also said the open basement had to be fenced off and that demolition and fencing would exceed $7,000.