NJ man, 78, arrested after police cars are set on fire in Hackensack

HACKENSACK — A 78-year-old foreign citizen who lives in Bergen County has been accused of intentionally torching several marked police cars in a municipal lot over the Labor Day weekend.

Jaime Magnelli Sr., of Hackensack, has been charged with aggravated arson, arson, risk of widespread injury or damage, failure to control or report a fire and criminal mischief.

Hackensack police and fire officials were called Saturday at 8:09 p.m. to a municipal parking lot at 78 Trinity Place.

Police encounter burning vehicles

The lot, known as Area T, runs behind the Bergen County Islamic Center and is used as an overflow parking area for city police vehicles.

Hackensack municipal gas pumps are also nearby.

First responders found three Hackensack police vehicles on fire.

Read More: Montclair man charged with hacking hate emails in Fort Lee

After putting out the flames, police called in the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Arson Squad, as the fires appeared suspicious in nature.

ABC7 Eyewitness News shared a clip of the scene on Saturday night, showing the police cars with visible damage and broken windshields.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators found that Magnelli had walked up and poured an accelerant onto each vehicle before setting them on fire and taking off.

Who is Magnelli?

On Tuesday, Magnelli, a Colombian national according to jail records, was arrested.

His son, Jaime Magnelli Jr., has been arrested a few times since 2013.

In each case, he pleaded guilty to downgraded offenses like criminal mischief and obstruction.

Magnelli Sr. was being held at Bergen County Jail, pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom