On Friday, April 29, 2016, David E. Ostrowski, age 22, of Merrill, was arrested for charges of Arson, Recklessly Endangering Safety and Injury by Negligent Handling of Fire in connection with the house fire at 1900 E. First St. in the City of Merrill on Oct. 22, 2015.
The fire resulted in the total loss of the home and all outbuildings on that property. The fire also resulted in a burn injury to one of the home’s seven occupants at the time. Any additional charges are pending further review by the Lincoln County District Attorney.
The Merrill Police Department would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Merrill Fire Department, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation’s State Fire Marshall’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol’s Technical Reconstruction Unit, and the Wisconsin Crime Lab. All of these agencies contributed to a successful investigation of this incident.
The Merrill Police Department would also like to express our appreciation to the victims of this incident and the closely related incidents. Their abundant patience awaiting the analysis of the evidence and the culmination of the investigation is a testament to the strong character of individuals that reside in the City of Merrill.
No further information is available for public release at this time, as the additional release of details not yet available through the discovery process could jeopardize the prosecution of the alleged offenses.