GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The man who broke into an Allouez church and set a fire in its gathering space was sentenced Friday for four years on probation.
Mackenzie Guillen, 19, previously pleaded no contest to one count of arson. A burglary count and three counts of criminal damage to property for a related vandalism spree the same were dismissed.
Due to the Wisconsin Supreme Court order limiting in-person hearings, only the judge was in the courtroom. The other parties appeared via video link.
Prosecutors and the defense both recommended probation to allow for supervision, particularly considering Guillen’s mental health issues. Guillen did not address the court before the sentence was issued.
In issuing his sentence, Judge Timothy Hinkfuss stressed to Guillen that he needs to take his medication. Hinkfuss also ordered Guillen to live with family members upon his release from jail Friday.
“Protection of the public will come if he’s on the medication he’s supposed to be on. If he doesn’t take his medication, for whatever reason, he can be revoked and put back in jail and the public can be protected,” Judge Hinkfuss said. “The longer he is on paper the better, so someone in the community is monitoring (his behavior).”
Court documents say Guillen spent about two hours inside St. Matthew Church and School on Webster Avenue on April 30, 2019. He smashed vases and scattered various items before setting fire to papers on the floor of the gathering space and walking away.
Police say he left with a wine bottle before throwing it through the window of a Beaumont Street home.
The criminal complaint says Guillen also threw rocks at the window of a different home on Webster Avenue before throwing a chair and ringing the doorbell at a home on Riverside Drive.
The Riverside Drive homeowner said Guillen, who appeared disoriented, told him to call police and walked away. Police arrested Guillen a short time later.
According to the criminal complaint, police were able to link Guillen to all four crimes through surveillance video inside the church, doorbell video from homes in the area and the clothes he was wearing that night.
Competency concerns were raised for Guillen, but after treatment he was found competent to stand trial.
