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Authorities: Morris County Homeowner Charged In Insurance Arson Fire

A Morris County man was charged with setting fire to his home for insurance purposes, authorities announced Friday.

East Hanover Fire Dept.

East Hanover Fire Dept.

Photo Credit: William Schievella

Gilmar Tejada, 37, was the only person in the single-family Cedar Street home in East Hanover before the Dec. 21, 2019 blaze broke out in the basement and quickly spread through the home, they said.

“Subsequent investigation revealed that insurance documents related to the property were not accurate,”

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker and East Hanover Township Police Chief Christopher F. Cannizzo said in a joint announcement.

Tejada was charged with aggravated arson and two counts of insurance fraud and was sent to the Morris County Correctional Facility to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Morristown.

Firefighters from East Hanover, Whippany, Livingston and Roseland responded to the Saturday evening blaze.

No injuries were reported.

The investigation was conducted by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Arson and Environmental Crimes Unit, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and East Hanover police, authorities said Friday.

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