Lyndhurst, NJ – A 42-year-old man is facing multiple arson-related charges after investigators say he deliberately ignited a fire inside a Valley Brook Avenue apartment building, forcing a dramatic police rescue of a resident trapped near the flames.
The blaze broke out shortly after 8:25 a.m. Tuesday at 522 Valley Brook Avenue, where first responders found fire spreading in the common stairwell of the multi-family residence. Lyndhurst police officers began extinguishing the flames and pulled a resident from the area of the fire before firefighters fully suppressed the blaze.
Detectives with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad, joined by the Bergen County Arson Task Force and Lyndhurst Police, determined that the same resident who was rescued, identified as Alexander Pluchino, intentionally set fire to cardboard and other debris in the stairwell.
Pluchino was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated arson, third-degree arson, fourth-degree creating a risk of widespread injury or damage, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and fourth-degree failure to control or report a fire. He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance in Hackensack.
No injuries were reported, and the swift response of police and firefighters prevented the fire from spreading further.
The case is moving forward as prosecutors stress the charges remain accusations until proven in court.