LAKEWOOD, NJ — A 39-year-old man from Lakewood was arrested Sunday after authorities say he set three fires late Saturday night. Around 10:30 p.m. on November 29, fire crews responded to a blaze burning in the basement window-well of a house on East Eighth Street. Moments later, firefighters found two more small blazes along nearby railroad tracks. All three fires were extinguished quickly and — thankfully — no one was hurt.
Investigators from county and local agencies concluded the fires were deliberately started. The first was fueled by an open flame applied to combustible materials in the window well. The brush fires along the tracks were triggered with a flammable fuel source. The suspect, identified as 39-year-old resident Israel Salgado-Miron, was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with aggravated arson and two additional counts of arson. He remains in custody at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Authorities say the swift, coordinated response from fire, police and county-level investigators prevented more serious damage. Nearby homes and infrastructure avoided harm. The incident rattled neighbors, but with the suspect behind bars and the fires contained, officials say the area is now safe.