Victim’s mother arrested following Waupaca shooting
Two people are charged in the shooting death of an 18-year-old Waupaca man.
William C. Zelenski, 44, Waupaca, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide. He faces life in prison if convicted.
Tiffany R. Powell, 35, Waupaca, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide as party to a crime, first-degree reckless endangerment with a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm.
On Monday, Oct. 19, Zelenski called 911 multiple times between 6:30 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. to report a burglary at his home the previous week.
He told dispatch two handguns, alcohol, a lizard valued at $17,000, a baby python valued at $7,000 a 2-foot crocodile valued at $2,000 and a boa constrictor had been stolen.
Some of the reptiles were poisonous and needed special handling.
Zelenski said Powell’s son, who is only identified as “victim” in the complaint, and Ashton R. Tody, 18, Waupaca, were the men responsible for breaking into his home.
At 10:25 p.m. on Oct. 19, Zelenski called 911 again, and said he confronted Powell’s son, who attacked him and that he shot the son.
According to the criminal complaint, Powell, who was with Zelenski at the time of the shooting, said Zelenski learned that the two had taken his reptiles to Tody’s home.
Zelenski was driving there to confront Powell’s son.
They found him near the corner of Van and Shearer streets.
A nearby home had a security doorbell system that recorded much of the altercation.
The video shows Zelenski and the victim circling each other in a fighting stance, the complaint says.
Zelenski was reportedly holding a double-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, which he handed to Powell.
The video then shows Powell allegedly pointing the gun at her son.
Powell then hands the shotgun back to Zelenski.
The victim “was heard yelling at Zelenski to put the gun down and fight like a man,” the complaint says.
A witness who lives nearby told police she heard a gunshot, looked out the window and saw Zelenski and Powell sitting in a car.
She said she saw “a lump of something directly behind his vehicle” and thought they hit a pedestrian.
The witness ran outside and recognized that the person lying on the ground was Powell’s son.
Police reported finding several folding knives, a pickaxe, a baseball bat, a hammer and ammunition in the vehicle.
Zelenski currently remains in custody without bail, and Powell is in custody on a $500,000 cash bond.
Ashton Tody is charged with burglary as party to a crime, felony theft as party to a crime, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass.
He was released on a $1,000 signature bond.