By Karen Zautyk
EAST NEWARK —
A tenant who had been evicted from a John St. apartment earlier in the month allegedly returned last Wednesday morning and set fire to the two-family residence, authorities reported. The suspect was arrested later the same day in Harrison.
East Newark Police Chief Kenneth Sheehan said no one was at home when the blaze broke out around 10:40 a.m. June 22, but the building at 330 John St. sustained major damage.
Firefighters from Harrison, East Newark and Kearny responded to the alarm, and the North Arlington FD covered the borough while its personnel were battling the blaze. The fire was declared under control within 45 minutes, Sheehan said.
An arson investigator from state Fire Marshal’s Office was also at the scene.
When Sheehan spoke to The Observer on Friday, he noted that all the reports were not yet in, but he said no accelerants had been found. However, he noted, there appeared to be two points of origin for the blaze, one in the living room and one in the kitchen on the ground level, where the damage was “extensive.”
To read the full story, see this week’s issue of The Observer.
