Tag:

Aggravated Arson

Perth Amboy Arsonist Set Fire With Infant Inside Home: Middlesex County Prosecutor Perth Amboy Arsonist Set Fire With Infant Inside Home: Middlesex County Prosecutor
Perth Amboy Arsonist Set Fire With Infant Inside Home: Middlesex County Prosecutor A 46-year-old Perth Amboy man was arrested and charged on Friday, June 13, with setting a fire inside a home with five people, including an infant, authorities said. On Tuesday, June 10, at 10:09 p.m., first responders responded to a blaze on Prospect Street, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Perth Amboy Police Chief Larry Cattano said. Five people, a 25-year-old man, 25-year-old woman, 29-year- old man, 49-year-old woman and a 2-month-old infant girl, were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation, authorities said. An investigation determi…
2 Teens Caused Barnegat Blaze By Firing Flare Gun: Prosecutor 2 Teens Caused Barnegat Blaze By Firing Flare Gun: Prosecutor
2 Teens Caused Barnegat Blaze By Firing Flare Gun: Prosecutor Two teenagers were arrested and charged Monday, June 9, after they started a fire in Barnegat by firing a flare gun last weekend, authorities said. On Saturday, June 7, at 2:50 p.m. Barnegat Township police and fire departments responded to a home on Schooner Avenue for a report of a fire, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. The fire was extinguished prior to their arrival and an investigation revealed the fire was caused by Kaele Principato, an 18-year-old Barnegat resident, and Lucas Pyle, an 18-year-old Egg Harbor City resident, firing a flare gun through the window of t…
Hospitalized After Confessing: Cody Balmer Admits Firebombing PA Governor’s Mansion Hospitalized After Confessing: Cody Balmer Admits Firebombing PA Governor’s Mansion
Hospitalized After Confessing: Cody Balmer Admits Firebombing PA Governor’s Mansion The man accused of firebombing Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept has been hospitalized for a medical event, authorities announced on Monday, April 14. Cody Allen Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, remains under Pennsylvania State Police supervision while receiving treatment at an area hospital. Officials said the medical episode was unrelated to the fire or his arrest. Balmer will be arraigned at Dauphin County Prison once he is cleared for release, state police said. A surveillance video captured Balmer climbing over a wall onto the Governor’s Residen…
Cody Balmer Set Fire At Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Residence While Family Slept, State Police Say Cody Balmer Set Fire At Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Residence While Family Slept, State Police Say
Cody Balmer Set Fire At Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Residence While Family Slept, State Police Say A Harrisburg man is accused of setting fire to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Sunday, April 13. The blaze broke out around 2 a.m. at the mansion on North Front Street in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, authorities said. Shapiro, his wife Lori, and their children were safely evacuated by Pennsylvania State Police and Capitol Police after troopers banged on their door to wake them. The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire quickly extinguished the flames. No injuries were reported, though the fire caused “signi…
West Grove Molotov Cocktail Arson Suspect Waives Hearing In Chester County: DA West Grove Molotov Cocktail Arson Suspect Waives Hearing In Chester County: DA
West Grove Molotov Cocktail Arson Suspect Waives Hearing In Chester County: DA A West Grove man accused of chucking a Molotov cocktail inside a Chester County business while people were still inside — then trying to carjack two vehicles — is heading to trial. Agustin Cisneros-Bedolla, 42, waived his preliminary hearing on Friday, March 21, nearly three weeks after prosecutors say he set a fire that could have killed employees at a bakery in London Grove Township. According to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, the firebombing happened at Squire’s Pantry on Gap Newport Pike just after Cisneros-Bedolla bought a lighter and gum on Saturday, March 1. He left …
Arsonist Guilty In Fire That Killed Four Including Baby In Hamilton Township: Prosecutor Arsonist Guilty In Fire That Killed Four Including Baby In Hamilton Township: Prosecutor
Arsonist Guilty In Fire That Killed Four Including Baby In Hamilton Township: Prosecutor A 27-year-old Trenton man was convicted on Tuesday, March 4 of intentionally setting a fire in Hamilton Township in 2021 that killed four people, authorities said. Michael Sanders was convicted of four counts of first degree murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and aggravated arson, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta Marbrey said. On Friday, July 9, 2021, at 3:40 a.m., a fire at 213 Woodlawn Ave. quickly engulfed both sides of the two and a half story, wood frame duplex, causing a partial roof collapse, Marbrey said.  A nine-month-old baby girl, identified as Malani Sanders, a…
7 Hospitalized, 30 Displaced After Arson Damages 6 Homes In Allentown: Police 7 Hospitalized, 30 Displaced After Arson Damages 6 Homes In Allentown: Police
7 Hospitalized, 30 Displaced After Arson Damages 6 Homes In Allentown: Police A fire in Allentown that injured seven people, including four firefighters, and displaced 30 residents is now being investigated as arson, authorities announced Friday, Dec. 27. Santos Mota-Ramirez, 60, of Allentown, has been charged in connection with the fire, police announced Friday. The blaze began around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, in the 700 block of West Cedar Street and quickly spread to six adjacent row homes, according to the Allentown Fire Department. Dozens of firefighters battled the flames, which left five families displaced and caused severe damage to multiple homes, offi…
Man Intentionally Set Fire To Bayonne Home: Police Man Intentionally Set Fire To Bayonne Home: Police
Man Intentionally Set Fire To Bayonne Home: Police A 39-year-old Bayonne man was arrested and charged on Tuesday, Sept. 17 with setting a home ablaze in the city in July, authorities said. On the early morning of Monday, July 22, officers and firefighters responded to West 32nd Street on a report of a structure fire, the Bayonne Police Department said. The residents were not home and no injuries were reported, police said. A follow-up investigation conducted by the City of Bayonne Police Department Detective Bureau in conjunction with the City of Bayonne Fire Department determined that fire was incendiary in nature, police said. …
Paramus Bank Burglar Torches Paterson DPW Building Hours After Release: Police Paramus Bank Burglar Torches Paterson DPW Building Hours After Release: Police
Paramus Bank Burglar Torches Paterson DPW Building Hours After Release: Police A 32-year-old New York man arrested for faking a slashing while burglarizing a Paramus bank set fire to a DPW building in Paterson hours after being released, Daily Voice has learned. Jonathan Gardner, of Canastota and Schenectady, was captured on video pouring gasoline on a structure behind the DPW building on 800 Broadway (Pennington Park) in Paterson just after 1 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 2, a spokesperson from the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said.  He was found sitting near the scene and was lodged in the Bergen County Jail on charges of aggravated arson, burglary, a…
Search For Suicidal Arsonist, 40, With Roommate's Gun Ends In Arrest, Wayne Police Say Search For Suicidal Arsonist, 40, With Roommate's Gun Ends In Arrest, Wayne Police Say
Search For Suicidal Arsonist, 40, With Roommate's Gun Ends In Arrest, Wayne Police Say The search for a 40-year-old man who set fire to a neighbor's home after leaving behind a suicide note ended in his arrest over the weekend in Wayne, police said. Hector Lobo has been charged on a warrant with aggravated arson, unlawful possession of a weapon, theft, and criminal mischief early Saturday, July 6, Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff said. Police were called to reports of flames coming from the back of a Totowa Road home around 1 a.m., where Officer Adrian Valentin knocked on the door of the home and made contact with the homeowner. Valentin evacuated the home, found a fire e…
Serial Arsonist Accused Of Setting 3 Fires Indicted In Gloucester County Serial Arsonist Accused Of Setting 3 Fires Indicted In Gloucester County
Serial Arsonist Accused Of Setting 3 Fires Indicted In Gloucester County A 19-year-old man from Gloucester County has been indicted by a grand jury in connection with three arson fires, according to court papers. Michael M. Lopez-Medina of Woodbury was arrested on Sunday, Feb. 11, by the Woodbury City Police Department and Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. Lopez-Medina was linked to two car fires on Salem Avenue on Feb. 1, a shed fire at Carriage House Apartments on Feb. 3 and a fire at a former school used by the Sketch Players Club on Glover Street on Feb. 7, the prosecutor previously said.  Lopez-Medina was charged with three counts of ag…
Wood-Ridge Man Convicted Again Of Murdering, Torching East Rutherford Grandmother Wood-Ridge Man Convicted Again Of Murdering, Torching East Rutherford Grandmother
Wood-Ridge Man Convicted Again Of Murdering, Torching East Rutherford Grandmother 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Questionable DNA evidence found under the fingernails of a 70-year-old Bergen County woman bludgeoned and burned in her home may have gotten her killer a new trial, but it didn't change the outcome. For a second time, a jury in Hackensack convicted Daniel Rochat on Wednesday of all charges in the brutal September 2012 slaying of real estate agent Barbara Vernieri in her East Rutherford home. Rochat, 48, of Wood-Ridge was originally convicted in June 2017 of beating Vernieri, then pouring gasoline on her and around her home before setting it on fire to cover up the crime scene. Pros…
Arsonists Break Into Jersey Shore Home, Start Living Room Fire: Prosecutor Arsonists Break Into Jersey Shore Home, Start Living Room Fire: Prosecutor
Arsonists Break Into Jersey Shore Home, Start Living Room Fire: Prosecutor A pair of men from Ocean County have been charged with setting a home on fire in Little Egg Harbor, authorities said. Thomas Lester, 20, of Tuckerton, and Ethan Salter, 19, of Little Egg Harbor Township, broke into a National Union Boulevard home on Jan. 8 around 2:15 p.m., then started a fire in the living room, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said on Friday, March 8. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and about two months later, Lester and Salter were each arrested at their homes and charged with aggravated arson, arson, burglary, criminal misc…
South Jersey Man Intentionally Started Two Fires, Including State-Owned Building: Prosecutors South Jersey Man Intentionally Started Two Fires, Including State-Owned Building: Prosecutors
South Jersey Man Intentionally Started Two Fires, Including State-Owned Building: Prosecutors A Plumsted Township man was accused of intentionally starting two fires in Ocean County, authorities said. Edward Petroni, 41, was charged on Monday, Mar. 4 with two counts of aggravated arson, burglary, and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced in a news release. The charges come from two fires in Plumsted and Jackson townships on Friday, Mar. 1. First responders were called to what was described as a "shed fire" near Maple Avenue and Brown Road in Plumsted at around 1:20 p.m. The structure was actually a bus stop …
Woman Intentionally Set Apartment Ablaze After Argument: Linden PD Woman Intentionally Set Apartment Ablaze After Argument: Linden PD
Woman Intentionally Set Apartment Ablaze After Argument: Linden PD A 41-year-old Linden woman was arrested and charged with setting fire to her apartment on Saturday, Jan. 6, police said. At 8:30 p.m., Linden police and fire responded to 10 N. Wood Avenue for a fire in a 4th-floor apartment, police said. Firefighters battled the blaze for more than an hour before it was extinguished, police said. Sandra Fils was arrested at the scene after an investigation determined she purposely started the fire after an argument with her roommate, police said. Fils was charged with aggravated arson and aggravated assault, police said. She remains in custody pending a co…
Veteran Responder Charged With Torching Service Vans At Bergen Optimum Store Veteran Responder Charged With Torching Service Vans At Bergen Optimum Store
Veteran Responder Charged With Torching Service Vans At Bergen Optimum Store A veteran firefighter from Passaic County torched two Optimum service vans behind the company’s Oakland store, said authorities who arrested him on Thursday. Randy S. McMaster Jr., 42, of Bloomingdale, intentionally set the fires that were reported behind the Potash Road store at 3:15 p.m. Oct. 19, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The blazes were quickly suppressed, leaving both service vehicles with fire and smoke damage, before emergency responders arrived, the prosecutor said following McMasters's arrest on Nov. 16. A father of two, McMaster lives in the Waterfall Village off…
Fire That Destroyed, Damaged Vehicles On Route 46 Lot Deliberately Set By PA Man: Prosecutor Fire That Destroyed, Damaged Vehicles On Route 46 Lot Deliberately Set By PA Man: Prosecutor
Fire That Destroyed, Damaged Vehicles On Route 46 Lot Deliberately Set By PA Man: Prosecutor UPDATE: A pre-dawn fire that destroyed some vehicles and damaged others at a used car dealership on Route 46 in Lodi last month was intentionally set by a Pennsylvania man, authorities said. Jonathan Czyzewski, 37, of Levittown, PA remained held in the Bucks County Correctional Facility in Doylestown pending extradition to Bergen County. Czyzewski set fire to a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck at MFT Auction off Money Street at 4:40 a.m. July 30, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Flames engulfed the pickup and quickly spread to other vehicles on the lot, the prosecutor said. …
Attempted Murder, Arson Charges For Hunterdon County Tenant Who Started Blaze At Occupied Home Attempted Murder, Arson Charges For Hunterdon County Tenant Who Started Blaze At Occupied Home
Attempted Murder, Arson Charges For Hunterdon County Tenant Who Started Blaze At Occupied Home A Hunterdon County woman was charged with attempted murder and arson in connection with a May garage fire she allegedly started at an occupied residence at which she was a tenant. Onika G. Johnson, 44, of Ringoes, was charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated arson, and criminal mischief on Wednesday, August 9, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson announced alongside local officials. Johnson was living at 8 Whitehall Way in Ringoes when she intentionally started a fire in the garage while the residence was occupied by “several family members and tenants" o…
South Jersey Woman, 48, Charged With Setting Row Home Fire: Police South Jersey Woman, 48, Charged With Setting Row Home Fire: Police
South Jersey Woman, 48, Charged With Setting Row Home Fire: Police A 48-year-old woman from Pleasantville has been charged with setting a massive fire in Atlantic City, authorities said. The three-alarm blaze displaced multiple residents, they said. On Wednesday, June 21, at 1:01 p.m., police officers, firefighters, and medical personnel responded to a structure fire in the 1500 block of Belfield Avenue. The structure is a series of row homes that contain multiple units.  The building was occupied at the time of the fire, and as many as 10 residents were rescued by first responders, police said. Three received treatment at the AtlantiCare Regional …
Driver Torches Sedan For Insurance Money After Hitching Ride For Gas From PIP PD: Prosecutor Driver Torches Sedan For Insurance Money After Hitching Ride For Gas From PIP PD: Prosecutor
Driver Torches Sedan For Insurance Money After Hitching Ride For Gas From PIP PD: Prosecutor A driver torched his sedan on the Palisades Interstate Parkway after first getting a ride from a police officer when he ran out of gas, authorities said. Tramaine Hayward, 46, of New Rochelle, NY, caught a lift from a well-meaning Palisades Interstate Parkway Police officer who found him and his disabled 2010 Nissan Altima stranded on the shoulder of the highway in Englewood Cliffs shortly before 10 p.m. Feb. 8. Two and a half hours later, PIP police responded to a 12:30 a.m. vehicle fire in that same spot, a complaint on file in Superior Court in Hackensack says. “The fully engulfed vehic…
Little Ferry Laborer Torched Truck For Insurance Money, Authorities Charge Little Ferry Laborer Torched Truck For Insurance Money, Authorities Charge
Little Ferry Laborer Torched Truck For Insurance Money, Authorities Charge A laborer from Little Ferry was charged with torching his pickup truck outside his own home for the insurance money. Louis M. Molino, 40, was arrested soon after firefighters responding to a quiet Couchon Drive neighborhood near Route 46 found the 2008 Nissan Frontier ablaze around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Little Ferry police and members of Musella’s Major Crimes Unit, assisted by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Identification, collected enough evidence to charge Molina with aggravated arson, arson and risking widespread injury o…
Morris County Man Learns His Fate For Killing Mom, Burning Down Home Morris County Man Learns His Fate For Killing Mom, Burning Down Home
Morris County Man Learns His Fate For Killing Mom, Burning Down Home A 43-year-old Morris County man who killed his mother and burned down their shared home has been sentenced to 17 years in New Jersey State Prison, authorities announced Thursday. Anthony Citro was found with blood on his clothes as police responded to a fire at his home at 37 Chestnut Hill Dr. E. in Denville just before 7:25 a.m. on Monday, May 17, 2021, DailyVoice previously reported. The remains of Citro’s 68-year-old mother, Eileen, were found by crews dousing the blaze. Her manner of death was determined to be sharp force injuries.  Citro was initially charged on a warrant-complai…
Woman Catches Fire After NJ Pair Tosses Fireworks From Jeep: Prosecutor Woman Catches Fire After NJ Pair Tosses Fireworks From Jeep: Prosecutor
Woman Catches Fire After NJ Pair Tosses Fireworks From Jeep: Prosecutor A pair of New Jersey men have been charged with arson after tossing fireworks that set a woman on fire, authorities said. Justin Liebhauser, 19, of Randolph, and Gianni Aveta, 18, of Wayne, were charged with aggravated arson in the incident that occurred in Beach Haven. On July 22, a 53-year-old woman entered the Beach Haven Police Department to report that at approximately 10:15 p.m., she had been struck by a firework explosive that was thrown from a motor vehicle.  She told police that she was walking on Pennsylvania Avenue when a firework was thrown from the&nbs…
Young Firebug Charged With Arson At Two Bergen Schools Young Firebug Charged With Arson At Two Bergen Schools
Young Firebug Charged With Arson At Two Bergen Schools A middle school student set arson fires three weeks apart in River Edge and Oradell, authorities charged. The first began in a garbage receptacle at the Roosevelt Elementary School on Summit Avenue in River Edge shortly after 9:30 p.m. on June 20 and was out by the time firefighters arrived, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Friday. The second was much more damaging. It caused fire and heavy smoke damage after it was ignited in several spots in the field house at River Dell High School in Oradell just after 5:30 p.m. July 11, the prosecutor said. Members of Musella’s arson unit i…
Jersey Shore Man Set Dozens Of Fires In 4 Towns: Prosecutor Jersey Shore Man Set Dozens Of Fires In 4 Towns: Prosecutor
Jersey Shore Man Set Dozens Of Fires In 4 Towns: Prosecutor A 32-year-old man from Ocean County has been indicted in connection with setting dozens of fires in four townships, authorities said. ALSO SEE: 'Red Flag' Warning Issued For NJ As Risk Of Serious Fires Rises Dramatically Gregory Fullman, Jr., of Manchester Township, was indicted by a Grand Jury on 28 counts of aggravated arson, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The charges are in connection with multiple fires that occurred in the Townships of Little Egg Harbor, Manchester, Lakewood, and Wall — between May 2021 and January 2022, he sai…
IT'S OVER: Fugitive Sought For Setting HUMC Co-Worker On Fire Found Dead Of Suicide IT'S OVER: Fugitive Sought For Setting HUMC Co-Worker On Fire Found Dead Of Suicide
IT'S Over: Fugitive Sought For Setting Humc Co-Worker On Fire Found Dead Of Suicide UPDATE: A contract nurse who fled after authorities said he set a 54-year-old colleague at Hackensack University Medical Center on fire was found dead of his own hand in South Jersey, authorities said. The body of Nicholas Pagano, 31, of West Deptford was found in a wooded area of Waterford Township, in Camden County, a two-hour drive of more than 100 miles from Hackensack, early Tuesday, Feb. 8, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. He'd shot himself once in the chest, apparently with a gun that had been stolen from his brother's home, law enforcement sources said. HUMC employees w…
UPDATE: Manhunt On For Traveling Nurse Following Attack On HUMC Patient Care Tech: Sources UPDATE: Manhunt On For Traveling Nurse Following Attack On HUMC Patient Care Tech: Sources
Update: Manhunt On For Traveling Nurse Following Attack On Humc Patient Care Tech: Sources UPDATE: A contract nurse who fled after authorities said he set a 54-year-old colleague at Hackensack University Medical Center on fire was found dead of suicide in South Jersey, authorities said. The body of Nicholas Pagano, 31, of West Deptford was found in a wooded area of Waterford Township, in Camden County, a two-hour drive of more than 100 miles from Hackensack, early Tuesday, Feb. 8, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. He'd shot himself once in the chest, apparently with a gun that had been stolen from his brother's home, law enforcement sources said. HUMC employees were n…
South Jersey Man Admits Setting Fire To Occupied Lakewood Home: Prosecutor South Jersey Man Admits Setting Fire To Occupied Lakewood Home: Prosecutor
South Jersey Man Admits Setting Fire To Occupied Lakewood Home: Prosecutor A 27-year-old man from South Jersey admits setting fire to an occupied home on the Jersey Shore, authorities said Jamal Preston, 27, of Egg Harbor Township, admitted to aggravated arson in Lakewood, before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan on Thursday, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Additionally, Preston pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of unlawful possession of a weapon relating to a fight that occurred two days before the fire in Berkeley Township, the prosecutor said. When he is sentenced on Feb. 25, the state is seeking a state prison sent…
Photos Released Of PA Crime Scene Where Man Strangled, Burned Pregnant Coworker Photos Released Of PA Crime Scene Where Man Strangled, Burned Pregnant Coworker
Photos Released Of PA Crime Scene Where Man Strangled, Burned Pregnant Coworker The Dauphin County district attorney has released photos of the crime scene where a woman who was stalked, harassed, assaulted, strangled and was left to die. FloorplanDauphin County district attorney's office Calvin Lorenzo Purdie, Jr., 35, has been found guilty of the May 23, 2019, murder of Charlotte Chaplin, according to a release by the Dauphin County district attorney’s office. Calvin PurdieDauphin County district attorney's office Charlotte Y. Chaplin, 49, of Hershey, was 4 1/2 months pregnant when she was strangled by her former coworker. Chaplin's bedroom.Dauphin County…
Morristown Gunman Nabbed After Police Standoff That Locked Down Nearby Hospital: Prosecutor Morristown Gunman Nabbed After Police Standoff That Locked Down Nearby Hospital: Prosecutor
Morristown Gunman Nabbed After Police Standoff That Locked Down Nearby Hospital: Prosecutor A 29-year-old gunman was arrested after hitting a woman in front of a young child, prompting a precautionary lockdown of Morristown Medical Center Monday night, authorities announced. Chancelle Ibin Young was seen brandishing a firearm and torching a vehicle on Franklin Street late Monday night into the early morning hours Tuesday, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said alongside county officials. Morristown Medical Center incidentMorristown.nj Instagram The initial Morristown patrolmen were joined at the scene by officers from the prosecutors office, sheriff's office and other…
SEEN HER? Indictment Charges Paterson Woman With Trying To Burn Down Ex-Lover's Apartment SEEN HER? Indictment Charges Paterson Woman With Trying To Burn Down Ex-Lover's Apartment
Seen HER? Indictment Charges Paterson Woman With Trying To Burn Down Ex-Lover's Apartment A Paterson woman who has remained a fugitive for several months since authorities accused her of trying to burn down a former lover’s apartment was indicted by a grand jury. Ahkearah Muhammad, 24, should be considered dangerous, authorities said, adding that she could be somewhere in New York. The fire broke out shortly after 10:30 p.m. March 20 in a large factory building that was converted into 240 units at the corner of Madison and Essex streets in Paterson. A surveillance camera caught images of Muhammad pouring lighter fluid outside her former beau’s door in a large city complex, auth…