EAST HANOVER — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and East Hanover Township Police Chief Christopher F. Cannizzo announce the arrest of Gilmar Tejada, 37, of East Hanover, on charges related to a fire that occurred on December 21, 2019 in East Hanover.
It is alleged that on December 21, 2019, fire officials and law enforcement responded to a report of a residential structure fire on Cedar Street in East Hanover. Upon arrival, they encountered an unoccupied single-family residence on fire. The cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary. The investigation revealed that Tejada had been present on the scene in the immediate time before the fire and no other person had entered the residence. There were no injuries as a result of this fire. Subsequent investigation revealed that insurance documents related to the property were not accurate.
Tejada has been charged with one count of Aggravated Arson, a crime of the second degree in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1(a)(3), and two counts of Insurance Fraud, crimes of the third degree in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4.6(a)(1) and 2C:21-4.6(a)(2).
The defendant was charged by way of a warrant-complaint, and was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a first appearance in court.
The investigation was conducted by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Arson and Environmental Crimes Unit, Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit and the East Hanover Township Police Department.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office – Arson and Environmental Crimes Unit at (973) 285-6200 or the East Hanover Township Police Department at (973) 887-0432.
Editor’s Note: An arrest or the signing of a criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until he or she has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
