Still flickering
On Nov. 7 at approximately 6 p.m., tenants at the 111 First St. found themselves under siege when a fire broke out in a vacant fifth floor studio.
The fire caused not only fire and water damage to the studio in question, but also caused water damage to other units on the floors below the studio, as well as flooding of the basement area.
Many of the tenants, who had been in an afternoon meeting to discuss a hearing in State Superior Court, already had their suspicions that the fire was started deliberately, in connection with their struggle with the building's owner.
The Jersey City Fire Department Arson Investigations Unit said the fire was started as the result of a gas pipe dislodged from a heater in the fifth floor studio. They said the blaze was accelerated by rags and paper and candles that were placed near the heater. They launched an arson investigation.
The investigation has so far resulted in the arrests of two employees of the building for obstructing the investigation. But no names were released and there have been no further details provided on the investigation because it is ongoing.
Last week, Capt. Lou Legregin of the Jersey City Fire Department Arson Unit, who is supervising the investigation, said that the two building employees were arrested were charged with "hindering apprehension" and that they spent a short time in custody but were released.
He said he was unaware of when they were bailed out and by whom.
Legregin also said that the investigation is still active and that a number of tenants and employees were interviewed.
"Some people came forward on their own to be interviewed, and some people came with attorneys. And then there were some who came with attorneys who did not submit to an interview," said Legregin.
When asked who were the persons who did not cooperate with the investigation, and whether these persons needed to be subpoenaed in order to be interviewed for the investigation, Legregin said that he was instructed by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office not to offer any more details on the investigation. He said that all of the tenants who they wanted to interview cooperated.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
for the hudson reporter 1/16/05
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On Nov. 7 at approximately 6 p.m., tenants at the 111 First St. found themselves under siege when a fire broke out in a vacant fifth floor studio.
The fire caused not only fire and water damage to the studio in question, but also caused water damage to other units on the floors below the studio, as well as flooding of the basement area.
Many of the tenants, who had been in an afternoon meeting to discuss a hearing in State Superior Court, already had their suspicions that the fire was started deliberately, in connection with their struggle with the building's owner.
The Jersey City Fire Department Arson Investigations Unit said the fire was started as the result of a gas pipe dislodged from a heater in the fifth floor studio. They said the blaze was accelerated by rags and paper and candles that were placed near the heater. They launched an arson investigation.
The investigation has so far resulted in the arrests of two employees of the building for obstructing the investigation. But no names were released and there have been no further details provided on the investigation because it is ongoing.
Last week, Capt. Lou Legregin of the Jersey City Fire Department Arson Unit, who is supervising the investigation, said that the two building employees were arrested were charged with "hindering apprehension" and that they spent a short time in custody but were released.
He said he was unaware of when they were bailed out and by whom.
Legregin also said that the investigation is still active and that a number of tenants and employees were interviewed.
"Some people came forward on their own to be interviewed, and some people came with attorneys. And then there were some who came with attorneys who did not submit to an interview," said Legregin.
When asked who were the persons who did not cooperate with the investigation, and whether these persons needed to be subpoenaed in order to be interviewed for the investigation, Legregin said that he was instructed by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office not to offer any more details on the investigation. He said that all of the tenants who they wanted to interview cooperated.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
for the hudson reporter 1/16/05
- bill 1-20-2005 3:13 am