Hackensack NJ Man Charged with Arson, Attempted Murder After Allegedly Starting Fire at Apartment Building

By Travis Tormey posted in Assault and Threat Crimes on Thursday, October 31, 2013

A Hackensack NJ man was charged with arson and attempted murder after allegedly starting a fire at an apartment building.

According to police, 53-year-old Gary Brown had been embroiled in a long-running, contentious dispute with a woman who lived in a fourth-floor apartment in the building. Apparently, Mr. Brown knew the woman from the city’s homeless shelter and had lived with her in the past.

Mr. Brown is accused of throwing a pile of garbage in front of the woman’s door and then setting it on fire. Police said that the flames spread to the apartment door, trapping the woman inside the apartment.

Thankfully, neighbors kept the flames at bay until firefighters arrived at the scene. Once the fire was put out, the woman was able to escape unharmed.

Mr. Brown fled the scene, but he was tracked down nearby and taken into custody.

Mr. Brown has been charged with arson, aggravated arson, and attempted murder.

If convicted of attempted murder, Mr. Brown could be sentenced to as many as 20 years in New Jersey State Prison. And because the No Early Release Act (NERA) applies to attempted murder convictions, Mr. Brown would be required to serve at least 85 percent of any sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

After being arrested and charged, Mr. Brown was held at the Bergen County Jail on $200,000.00 bond.

Hackensack Man Facing Arson, Attempted Murder Charges

For more information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Man Charged with Arson, Attempted Murder After Garbage Fire at Hackensack Apartment Building.“