Menasha man sentenced to 20 years in prison for arson and reckless injury

The man convicted of setting an occupied house on fire in the City of Fond du Lac in September of 2024 was sentenced in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court yesterday.

District Attorney Eric Toney announced that Judge Anthony Nehls sentenced Mike Perez to a prison term of 20 years for Arson and First Degree Reckless Injury, along with another 10 years of extended supervision.

The sentence is broken down as 15 years of prison and 5 years of supervision for the arson and 5 years of prison and 5 years of supervision for the reckless injury, served consecutive to each other.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred September 23rd of 2024 when Perez set fire to a house at 247 Packer Street in Fond du Lac. According to court documents, Perez was upset with his girlfriend and set fire to her lower residence of a duplex after she left, not knowing their was a 16-year-old girl in the upstairs unit. After the fire was set, the 16 year old was forced to jump from a second story window to escape, causing her to sustain serious injuries. The fire also killed two family pets.