Milwaukee man receives probation after setting string of fires last summer

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee man was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 15, after setting a string of fires on the city's north side.

No one was seriously injured, but the fires tied up emergency resources for hours.

36-year-old Breonteze Little was given three years of probation for setting at least 14 small scale fires in the city last June.

"I think what makes this so egregious is not only the overall number, but what could have happened if they weren't easily contained," said assistant district attorney Katherine Seelow.

Little pleaded guilty earlier this month to five charges of arson.

His attorney said he set the fires the morning of June 18 after visiting Milwaukee Police District Three about a child custody case.

"Obviously that can't be something that's tolerated - someone who, out of frustration, goes and starts various small fires," said Judge Jack Dávila.

The fires were set in Milwaukee's uptown neighborhood and near 9th and Hadley.

At least six were in garbage bins or piles.

Two were outside duplexes, and one was lit through the mail slot of Ralph's Coffee Bar at 46th and Lisbon.

One firefighter had a minor injury from debris, but no one else was hurt.

"Certainly, this is no fire that has fully engulfed a house. The most significant damage is the smoke damage," said Little's defense attorney, Dean Sopcic.

While the damage wasn't serious, Judge Dávila warned it could have been worse.

"When you set a fire in a very densely populated area, like our city is, those fires can spread very quickly," he explained.

Little's three-year probation sentence comes after he has served 201 days in jail.

"You have received some immediate punishment for what you did in the form of that time you've been in custody," Dávila said.

If Little does not follow the terms of his probation, he could go to prison for three years.