By Sarah Ritter
Star Tribune
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Maple Grove Fire Chief Maddison Zikmund has resigned days after he was charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old fire cadet.
City officials said Zikmund, who has served as chief since spring 2025, was placed on administrative leave earlier this month after they became aware of the criminal investigation.
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Zikmund could not be immediately reached on Tuesday and court records did not yet list an attorney for him.
Zikmund, 36, of Blaine, was charged July 10 with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is accused of sexually assaulting a teen in 2017, when he worked as a firefighter and supervisor of a youth cadet program with the Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Fire Department, according to the criminal complaint.
The girl started as a fire cadet in 2016, when she was 16 years old. She told police earlier this year that Zikmund groomed her and sent her messages that turned sexually explicit.
She told police that in spring 2017, when she was 17, Zikmund invited her to his home where he sexually assaulted her.
In a July interview with police, Zikmund allegedly admitted to exchanging explicit photographs with the victim and touching her while at his home. According to the complaint, Zikmund told police, “Again, I know this was wrong.”
Maple Grove officials said in a news release that Acting Fire Chief Bill Abderhalden is overseeing day-to-day operations of the department. On Monday, the City Council agreed to start recruiting for the chief position.
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