Ranjodh Singh IV, 35, “purposely set fire to himself in the basement apartment” shortly after midnight Feb. 19, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said last week.
“As a result, the fire spread rapidly through the basement and trapped the other two occupants of the apartment,” Musella said.
He used an accelerant, the prosecutor said, which responders said was gasoline.
Singh died before dawn.
Single mom Manjinder Kaur, 44, succumbed to her injuries the following day.
Singh’s wife (Manjinder Kaur’s sister), 47-year-old Manjit Kaur, remains hospitalized in serious condition at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.
Teaneck police and firefighters were joined at the 12:30 a.m. blaze at 850 Palisade Avenue by Englewood and Hackensack’s bravest.
Firefighters were dousing the three-alarm blaze in the multi-family home when they found the victims.
They also found gasoline cans, responders at the scene told Daily Voice.
Investigators from Musella’s Arson Task Force and Teaneck police concluded that Singh was responsible for his and Manjinder Kaur’s death, the prosecutor announced last week. He didn’t address a possible motive.
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