SHEBOYGAN — A Sheboygan Falls man entered a plea deal in court after he was suspected of setting a home on fire and attacking the woman who lived there last December.

Todd M. Hartzheim, 57, was charged Dec. 22, 2023, with felony arson of a building without the owner’s consent (with domestic abuse and domestic abuse repeater modifiers) and misdemeanor battery (with domestic abuse repeater and domestic abuse modifiers).

March 21, Hartzheim entered no-contest pleas for those two charges. In December 2023, he pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Originally, Hartzheim was also charged with felony criminal damage to property of more than $2,500 (with domestic abuse and domestic abuse repeater modifiers). This charge was dismissed.

Additionally, Hartzheim was originally charged with the following misdemeanors: disorderly conduct (with domestic abuse repeater and domestic abuse modifiers), resisting or obstructing an officer and intentionally abuse of a hazardous substance. These charges were also dismissed.

Original article about this case: Man suspected of setting fire to Sheboygan Falls home being held at county detention center

Bradley Priebe, the listed defense attorney, did not immediately respond to an opportunity to comment on this article.

The following events are all alleged and described based on the criminal complaint.

On Dec. 19, 2023, officers arrived at a residence in the N6100 block of Sunset Avenue in the town of Sheboygan Falls for the report of a physical disturbance. According to the complaint, the victim and Hartzheim previously lived together.

When officers arrived at the residence, Hartzheim was seen inside and didn’t come out after being motioned by law enforcement to do so.

Inside, Hartzheim was seen with a can of gasoline, paper and a lighter. Reportedly, he was lighting the papers on fire and attempting to set the floor on fire.

It was unclear if the victim was inside, so one officer went into the home. When the officer yelled at Hartzheim to stop starting the fire, Hartzheim continued.

He told the officer he should leave him alone and poured gasoline over the flames. The fire is described in the complaint as “significant” with “a lot of smoke.”

“I’m finished,” Hartzheim said. “It’s over.”

Hartzheim walked away from the officer and resisted being placed into custody.

The complaint said flames were seen in the kitchen and because of yelling in that direction, officers went past the fire. After Hartzheim continued to resist while on the ground, he was placed into custody.

As the fire grew, Hartzheim continued to resist and refused to walk outside.

Unable to get Hartzheim out of the residence, officers ran through the flames in the kitchen to get back outside.

One officer involved reported throwing up and having breathing issues because of the smoke and the other had a hard time breathing. Both later went to the hospital for significant smoke inhalation.

Various officers worked to try to extinguish the fire and get Hartzheim out of the building. Eventually, officers were able to carry him outside and place him on the lawn.

The fire caused more than $2,500 in damage to the home.

After speaking with the victim, the following story about what happened before officers arrived unfolded.

Three days before the fire, Hartzheim and the victim had a domestic dispute that led to a temporary restraining order on Hartzheim to be granted Dec. 19. It was not served to Hartzheim.

At 4 p.m. the day of the fire, Hartzheim came to the victim’s home referencing an eviction the victim was seeking that Hartzheim saw on the online court website and said the no contact from a previous domestic violence arrest was over.

Despite telling Hartzheim about the restraining order, the victim let him into the home to get his medications.

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After trying to kill himself by inhaling spray deodorant — he has lung problems — and not allowing the victim to call 911, Hartzheim pushed the victim into the chair she was sitting in and began attacking her.

He told her he was going to burn the house and they would both die.

The victim was able to escape and call 911 at a neighbor’s house.

The victim had bruising on her arms, and she said she feared for her safety.

At the hospital, Hartzheim told officers he had been depressed because of the holidays and was having a hard time with not being able to work and his body “failing him.”

While he denied trying to kill himself or any disturbance with the victim, Hartzheim said he started the fire because he didn’t think he could afford to take care of the house. He found the gasoline in the shed.

“I just lost it, dude,” he told officers. “I built that place.”

Hartzheim also denied knowing about the temporary restraining order or evictions.

He said he knew what he did was wrong and while he never wanted to hurt anyone, he will “forever regret his decision.”

Hartzheim’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 11.

Why we cover courts: This report is part of the Sheboygan Press’s mission to fulfill our obligation to follow criminal cases from arrest to their conclusion. The aim is to shine a light on the criminal justice process so readers can see how publicly funded law enforcement and courts function.

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Sam Bailey at sgbailey@gannett.com or 573-256-9937. To stay up to date on her stories and other news, follow her on X (Twitter) @SamarahBailey.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan Falls man enters plea deal in felony arson case