By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
A 17-year-old from Franksville is charged with burning a classmate with a hot welding electrode during a welding class at Union Grove Union High School in January.
Quinnton Gresk-Klingbeil is charged with felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor disorderly conduct with use of a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaint filed April 10 in Racine County Circuit Court:
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the high school Jan. 14 for a report of a student burning another student in the face.
Deputies observed a three-inch burn mark on a 17-year-old student’s forehead as well as a burn on the right side of his nose.
The student stated that he was fine although his face hurt, and said he had been burned by a hot welding electrode wielded by classmate Gresk-Klingbeil.
The teacher told deputies that he saw Gresk-Klingbeil hold up a welding electrode to the victim’s face, saying: “Watch out, this is hot. How would you like it if I burned you?”
The teacher said he then saw the victim try to take the welding electrode away, but Gresk-Klingbeil placed the victim in a headlock and tried to wrestle him to the ground.
The teacher and some students pulled Gresk-Klingbeil and the victim apart, at which time the teacher noticed that the victim had several burns on his face.
A deputy spoke with Gresk-Klingbeil, who reportedly stated that he was joking around at first and that when the victim took it seriously, he placed him in a headlock and he got burned.
When informed that he had burned the other student just below the eye, Gresk-Klingbeil reportedly stated: “I guess I didn’t think about that.”
The teacher described the welding tool as a steel rod that is burned down and he estimated the heat of the rod to be between 300-400 degrees when the victim was burned.
He said that Gresk-Klingbeil had burned the back of another student’s neck with a heated piece last October and had been warned then about the seriousness of harming people. The October incident was handled by a formal warning to Gresk-Klingbeil and a parents’ meeting.
Superintendent Al Mollerskov said Tuesday that school disciplinary action had been taken against Gresk-Klingbeil following the January incident, and that Gresk-Klingbeil no longer is in the high school building.
Gresk-Klingbeil was in Racine County Circuit Court April 30 for an initial appearance, at which time probable cause was found that he had committed the crimes with which he is charged, and a $650 cash bond set.
As a condition of that bond, he is to have no contact with the victim and is not to be in possession of welding tools.
He is next scheduled to be in court May 16 for a preliminary hearing, at which time a judge can consider whether or not the matter should proceed to trial.
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