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Thursday, jun 4
Tag:
Arson
Police & Fire
Arsonist Who Stabbed Parents, Set Paterson Basement Fire Had Prior Charges, Records Show
A 25-year-old man is accused of setting a fire in a Paterson home and stabbing both of his parents before surrendering to police, sources with direct knowledge of the incident said. Firefighters were called to 192 Berkshire Ave. in Paterson at approximately 12 a.m. on Monday, March 2, for a fire in a 1.5-story wood-frame home, according to the Paterson Fire Department. The fire was located in the basement, and preliminary information indicates the fire may have been intentionally set by an emotionally disturbed individual barricaded inside the residence, according to the release. Sourc…
News
Man In Yellow Tracksuit Arrested For Throwing Lit Cigarette Into Bergen County Mailbox: Cops
A suspect accused of throwing a lit cigarette into a mailbox outside the Lyndhurst Post Office, damaging mail and starting a fire, has been apprehended following a multi-agency investigation, authorities said. Lyndhurst police were dispatched at 11:22 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, to 436 Valley Brook Ave., the Lyndhurst branch of the United States Post Office, on a report of a man who threw a lit cigarette into a mailbox, Police Capt. Paul Haggerty said. The caller and an eyewitness described the suspect as a man wearing a yellow tracksuit who was seen walking west on Valley Brook Avenue, a…
Police & Fire
Teen, Man Charged In Explosion At Harvard Medical School; FBI Details What Agents Found
The FBI says two Massachusetts men have been arrested after an explosion shook a building at Harvard Medical School. Logan David Patterson, 18, of Plymouth, and Dominique Frank Cardoza, 20, of Cardoza, are accused of setting off a Roman candle firework inside the Goldenson Building at 220 Longwood Avenue in Boston, federal investigators said. Agents with the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force made the arrests with help from Harvard University Police. Ted Dox, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office, said the two bragged about what they did and then tried to cover it up.&nbs…
Police & Fire
Prosecutor Probing Fire That Destroyed Controversial Mayor's NJ Auto Repair Shop
A fire that tore through JD Automatic & Truck, a commercial building owned by Dover Mayor James Dodd, is under investigation, authorities said. The blaze broke out around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at 331 Richards Ave., Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll. Dover police and fire crews responded to find the building engulfed in flames. Firefighters from Netcong, Mount Tabor, Roxbury, Picatinny, Denville, and Wharton assisted in bringing the fire under control. This evening, at approximately 7:30 pm, Netcong Fire Department was requested to respond into Dover for the RIC... Posted …
News
PA Gov. Shapiro’s Mansion Firebomber Cody Balmer Sentenced — Watch New Video Evidence
Cody A. Balmer has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in a firebombing attack that endangered 22 people inside the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Balmer admitted to all charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, 22 counts of arson (one for each person endangered), burglary, and related offenses, according to Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo. The Sentence Judge Deborah E. Curcillo accepted a plea agreement in which Balmer, 38, was sentenced to a state correctional institution for 2…
News
Facebook Friend Stabbed, Burned Alive By Gang Member: Life Sentences Mount
The final member of a violent Lehigh Valley gang has been convicted in the 2018 torture-killing of 18-year-old Tyrell Holmes, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Thursday, Oct. 9. Zahmire Welcome, 27, of Whitehall, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and kidnapping by a Northampton County jury after more than a week of testimony. He faces a mandatory life sentence when he is formally sentenced on Jan. 14, 2026. Welcome was the last of four men charged in connection with Holmes' killing — all members of a gang that called itself “Money Rul…
News
Charlie Kirk Murder: Person Of Interest Released Hours After Utah Campus Shooting
A person of interest who was apprehended in connection with the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was released hours later. The individual was released from custody following an interrogation by police, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X Wednesday night, Sept. 10. No suspects had been arrested as of 8:45 p.m. "Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," Patel said. Related Report: Who Was Charlie Kirk? College Dropout, Forbes 30 Under 30 Influencer Assassinated At Rally Kirk, 31, was …
Police & Fire
Double
Murder
: Elderly Couple Burned, Stabbed After Letting Stranger Into NYC Home, Cops Say
A manhunt is underway for a parolee with a violent criminal history wanted in the deaths of a couple in their Queens, NY home, authorities said. Jamel McGriff, 42, is wanted in the killings of Frank Olton, 76, and Maureen Olton, 77, which happened Monday, Sept. 8, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Tisch said McGriff went to the Oltons’ home that morning, claiming his cell phone battery was dead and he needed to charge it. Video shows McGriff speaking with Frank Olton before being allowed into the couple’s backyard, Tisch said. The two then walked inside through the back door of the…
Police & Fire
New Photos Show Deadly Fire At Bergen County Mobile Home Park
New details have been released in a fiery explosion that left one man dead in a Bergen County mobile home Monday, Sept. 8. The fire broke out around 4:47 p.m., in a mobile home on 6th Street. in Moonachie, bringing police and firefighters from multiple neighboring agencies to the scene, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. During fire suppression efforts, crews found an adult male victim inside, Musella said. His name is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification. He was pronounced dead at the scene The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad, along with the Moonachi…
News
Influencer 'Drew Disaster' Commits Arson In Botched Suicide Attempt: Affidavit
A popular content creator is facing felony charges after allegedly setting her Middletown home on fire in a suicide attempt that killed one of her cats, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Thursday, Sept. 4. Drew Yvonne Mehalick-Headley, 29 — known to her hundreds of thousands of followers as “Drew Disaster” — allegedly lit the bedroom of her mobile home on Caravan Court around 4:39 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, according to Middletown police. Flames ripped through the residence before firefighters were able to knock down the blaze and rescue Mehalick-Headley, authorities said…
News
Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting NJ Prosecutor, Judges: PA Bowling Alley Owner Convicted
A Pennsylvania man has been convicted of conspiring to kill multiple New Jersey government officials in a murder-for-hire plot, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Stephen Smink, 62, of Philadelphia, was found guilty on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, of conspiracy to commit murder, five counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to transport weapons, and transporting weapons after a trial in Atlantic County. Smink targeted Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, First Assistant Prosecutor Harold Shapiro, two Superior Court judges, and an assistant p…
News
NY Dad, 3 Kids Died In Fire — A Decade Later, Man Accused Of Setting It Is Charged, DOJ Says
More than a decade after a house fire killed a father and three children, and seriously injured a fourth in upstate New York, a longtime suspect has been federally charged. Edward Leon, 53, of Fultonville, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on a charge of malicious use of fire to destroy property resulting in death, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Albany. The fire broke out on May 2, 2013, at a Schenectady rental home on Hulett Street. It killed David Terry and three of his children: Michael Terry, Layah Terry, and Donovan Duell. A fourth child, Sa’fyre Terry, survived…
Police & Fire
Miami Man Beheads, Murders Mom, Retired NJ Teacher Who Came To Check On Him: Police
A 40-year-old Miami Beach man was arrested and charged with murder after an eight-hour SWAT standoff over the weekend after his New Jersey mother's body was found nearly decapitated in a dumpster, police said. Anthony Caruso, 40, was arrested on Sunday, July 20, following the standoff at his apartment on Washington Avenue, according to a criminal complaint filed by Miami Beach Police. Police were dispatched to 800 Washington Ave.,, for a welfare check after Elizabeth Caruso’s son-in-law reported not hearing from her for over six hours, the affidavit says. Elizabeth had arrived mid-day Satu…
Police & Fire
Man Snags Car Keys Off Bergen County Bar, Torches Stolen Ride: Prosecutor
A 60-year-old Hackensack man is facing a string of serious charges after police say he stole a car outside a bar in Garfield and intentionally set it on fire just a few blocks away. Troy R. Taylor was arrested on Friday, July 11, after police say he sparked a car fire in the early morning hours on Monroe Street, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a release Monday. At around 1:17 a.m., Garfield Police responded to a report of a stolen 2019 Honda Civic in the area. The owner told police they had placed their car keys on the bar inside a nearby tavern when they went missing, Musella…
Police & Fire
Man Torches American Flag, Smashes Glass Of NJ Hair Salon: Police
A 30-year-old West New York Man was arrested and charged on Tuesday, July 8 after he lit an American flag on fire in Secaucus, authorities said. On Saturday, June 28, officers responded to Spotless Mind Hair Studio on Front Street after Joherik Urena threw a large rock through the glass front door, shattering it, Secaucus police said. Later that morning, officers responded to a residence on Front Street after Urena set an American flag on fire, police said. The fire burned the flag, the pole and charred some of the siding on the residence, police said. The fire burned itself out, poli…
Police & Fire
Woman Claimed To Be Devil Before Setting House On Fire, Shooting At Boyfriend: Cops
A 42-year-old man told police he awoke to his girlfriend pointing a gun at his head and claiming she was Lucifer. She told him that they needed to kill the neighbors before she allegedly set their home on fire, authorities said. Megan Dunkin, 31, of Harwinton, turned herself in to police on Tuesday, June 24. She faces multiple charges in connection with the incident, according to the Connecticut State Police. The ordeal began on June 12, when Dunkin’s partner said she started rambling and running around their home, an arrest warrant stated. He later found her burning a hole in a shower curt…
Police & Fire
‘Gallons Of Gas’: Family Recounts Terror In NJ Arson Attack That Left Mom, Son In ICU
New and heartbreaking details have emerged about the horrific arson attack that left five family members hospitalized in New Jersey. The blaze broke out around 10:09 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, at a home on Prospect Street in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Perth Amboy Police Chief Larry Cattano said. Authorities say Gerardo Rosario-Vasquez, 46, broke into the home carrying gallons of gasoline and intentionally set it ablaze. He has since been charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, and home invasion. He remains hospitalized at St. Barnabas in Livingston.…
News
‘Death To America’ Man Who Tried To Firebomb US Embassy In Tel Aviv Arrested At JFK: DOJ
A man who once lived in Colorado is facing federal charges for attempting to firebomb the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Sunday, May 25. Joseph Neumeyer, 28, a dual U.S.-German citizen, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport after being deported from Israel, according to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. Molotov Cocktails Outside The Embassy Neumeyer allegedly showed up at the U.S. Embassy’s Tel Aviv branch on Sunday, May 19, with a dark backpack loaded with three Molotov cocktails. Se…
Police & Fire
2-Alarm Blaze Displaces Dozens At Elmwood Park Apartment Complex, Police Say
Sixteen buildings lost power and multiple families were displaced after a 2-alarm fire broke out at an Elmwood Park apartment building overnight, authorities said. A caller reported seeing flames coming from a second-floor unit while driving on Iozia Terrace and called for help, according to Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno. Patrol officers responded to 78B Iozia Terrace just after 4:45 a.m., where they saw flames coming from the roof near the gutter, Foligno said. Officers immediately evacuated residents from both 78A and 78B, as well as others inside the building. The Elmwood Pa…
Police & Fire
NJ High School Student Sets Chromebook On Fire In TikTok Challenge, Police Say
A 15-year-old student at a North Jersey high school has been charged with arson after police say they intentionally set a school-issued Chromebook on fire as part of a TikTok challenge. The fire was reported at Belleville High School on Thursday, May 8, at 9:13 a.m. at Belleville High School, located at 100 Passaic Avenue, according to Detective Lt. John McAloon of the Belleville Police Department. Police and fire officials responded to the school after receiving a report of a fire in Room 219, McAloon said. When officers and firefighters arrived, they found a charred Chromebook outsid…
Police & Fire
17-Year-Old Helped Set Pallets Ablaze Sparking 15,000-Acre Jersey Shore Blaze: Prosecutor
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the massive wildfire that burned through Ocean County last week, authorities announced. The teen, whose name was not released because of his age, was taken into custody on Wednesday, May 1, and charged with aggravated arson, arson, and hindering apprehension, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said on Friday, May 2. Joseph Kling, 19, of Waretown, was previously arrested and charged with aggravated arson and arson for setting wooden pallets on fire and leaving before it was out, Billhimer said. Kling was taken into custod…
News
Bonfire Left Burning Sparked 15,000-Acre NJ Wildfire, 19-Year-Old Man Charged: Prosecutor
A 19-year-old New Jersey man has been charged with setting the massive wildfire that scorched 15,000 acres and destroyed a commercial building this week, officials announced. Joseph Kling, of Ocean Township (Waretown), was charged with Aggravated Arson and Arson in connection with the Tuesday, April 22 blaze, according to a joint statement from Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, NJ DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette, and Ocean Township Police Chief Michal Rogalski. The fire was first spotted at 9:45 a.m. by the Cedar Bridge Fire Tower, which reported seeing smoke near Jones Roa…
News
19-Year-Old College Student Firebombed Tesla Dealership While On Spring Break, Feds Say
A college freshman on spring break is now facing federal charges after allegedly tossing a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla dealership, torching two Cybertrucks in a late-night firebombing. Owen McIntire, 19, of Kansas City, Missouri, who attends college in Boston, was arrested and appeared in federal court in Massachusetts on Friday, April 18. Prosecutors say the charges stem from a Monday, March 17 blaze at the Tesla Center in Kansas City, where he’s accused of using incendiary devices, including one that didn’t detonate, to start a fire that destroyed two vehicles worth more than $100,000 eac…
News
Listen
: Cody Balmer’s 911 Call Before Firebombing Gov. Shapiro’s Residence Mentions Palestine
Just hours before Molotov cocktails were hurled into the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, a man now charged in the attack made a chilling 911 call claiming Gov. Josh Shapiro was targeting Palestinians and hurting his family. Cody Allen Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, is accused of breaking a window at the Governor’s official residence with a hammer and throwing incendiary devices inside while Shapiro, his wife Lori, and their children were sleeping early Sunday, April 13. In a 911 call obtained by Daily Voice on Friday, April 18, Balmer told dispatchers: “Governor Josh Shapiro needs to know t…
News
‘Irritable And Agitated’: Cody Balmer’s Mom Sought Help Days Before Governor’s Mansion Arson
Days before the firebombing at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, the mother of accused arsonist Cody Balmer pleaded with police, fearing her son was suffering from a mental health breakdown, Penbrook police announced in a release on Tuesday, April 15. On April 10 — just three days before the Molotov cocktail attack that forced Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family to evacuate — Balmer’s mother, Christie, contacted the Penbrook Police Department to report that her son had left home without explanation. She told officers that she believed he stopped taking his medications about a year ago and …
News
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…
News
Shocking Photos Show Firebombed Damage Inside PA Governor’s Mansion After Arson Attack
Charred walls, melted fixtures, and soot-stained ceilings — shocking new images reveal the devastation inside the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence after an arsonist set it ablaze while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept. The photos, released by the Commonwealth on Sunday evening, show extensive fire damage throughout the stately Harrisburg mansion’s interior, particularly concentrated near the front entrance. Blackened walls, debris-strewn floors, and scorched furniture paint a harrowing picture of the overnight attack that officials say could have ended in tragedy. Commonwealth Medi…
News
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…
News
Arsonist Sets PA Governor Josh Shapiro’s Residence On Fire
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were forced to evacuate their residence as an arsonist set the governor’s residence ablaze while they slept overnight. The blaze broke out at 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 13, in North Front Street in the city of Harrisburg in Dauphin County. Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement they has confirmed that the fire was a deliberate act of arson. The alleged arsonist has since been identified and arrested, click here to read our full report. The Shapiro family was located in a different part of the mansion and was safely evacuated…
News
NJ Man Who Paid To Torch $6M PA Book Warehouse, Injuring Firefighter, Sentenced: DOJ
A New Jersey man who orchestrated the arson of a Bucks County book warehouse—injuring a firefighter and causing over $6 million in damages—has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, authorities announced. Ramiz Duka, 62, of Cherry Hill, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for his role in the Dec. 10, 2022, fire at Ebooks Web LLC on Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Acting U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr. said on Monday, March 10. Duka conspired with two men to set the warehouse ablaze, paying them $15,000 for the job, investigators previously revealed.…
News
FBI Probes Alleged Arson Fire At NJ Home Of Bayer Exec: Report
A suspicious fire that broke out at the New Jersey home of a pharmaceutical company executive earlier this week is under investigation by multiple agencies including the FBI, authorities said. Yahoo Finance was first to report the alleged attack on a Bayer executive March 4 in Morris County. The blaze broke out at a home on East Lane in Madison at approximately 7:30 that morning, according to Meghan Knab, a spokesperson for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. The fire was quickly extinguished by local firefighters and the home did not suffer significant damage. Knab could not confirmed t…
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