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Oswaldo Domingo Xil-Argueta, 29, is accused of torching Mesivta Sanz Yeshiva and its synagogue on 34th Street in Union City around 3 a.m. on July 3, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.
There were no occupants in the building at the time of the two-alarm blaze.
The Union City Police Department and the Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force arrested Xil-Argueta on July 5, on charges of first-degree aggravated arson and criminal mischief, Suarez said.
Because the arson was at a place of public worship, the aggravated arson charge has been elevated to a first-degree offense. At this point, there is no evidence that this was a bias incident.
During a hearing before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale, a motion to detain Xil-Argueta pending his trial was approved after the state argued he posed a danger to the community.
Prosecutor Suarez credited the Union City Police Department and the Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force for the investigation and arrest.
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