EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A Rutherford man has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including aggravated arson, after allegedly setting fire to a hotel room in East Rutherford on Thursday morning, authorities said.
Vicente Carabello, 55, was taken into custody following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the East Rutherford Police Department.
Police and firefighters responded around 11:24 a.m. to reports of a fire at the Fairfield Inn hotel, where Carabello is accused of setting a room on fire after a dispute with hotel staff.
Officials said Carabello fled the scene before officers arrived and assaulted a hotel employee while escaping. The employee sustained minor injuries.
The fire activated the hotel’s sprinkler system, causing property damage but no reported injuries. Carabello was later located and arrested by detectives.
