Man Found Guilty Of Arson In Connection To 3 Holmdel Fires

HOLMDEL, NJ — A former Holmdel resident was found guilty of arson, in connection to three fires that happened in town between Aug. 2017 and May 2018, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

Two of those fires happened on Main Street at the former site of Neuhaus Realty Agency. The third was at the place the business moved to on South Holmdel Road, according to officials.

Leonard J. Mazzarisi, III, 32, who used to live on Burgundy Drive, has been charged with second-degree aggravated arson, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

The first fire was set on purpose by a man captured on surveillance, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Holmdel Township Police Department determined, after investigating and collecting evidence.

On Jan. 2018, police responded to a second fire at the same location and found heavy smoke and fire blasting from the back. The building was seriously damaged and the fire was also determined to be arson, according to officials.

A few months later, police was sent to the new Neuhaus Realty Agency location, responding to a report of a BB gun being fired into the building.

After reviewing the surveillance video, detectives concluded that Mazzarisi was responsible for firing the BB gun at the window of the building. They also concluded that Mazzarisi was driving a vehicle that matched the one seen in the video at the Jan. 2018 arson at the former Neuhaus Realty location.

On May 30, Mazzarisi was found in a hotel in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and was arrested on the outstanding warrants stemming from the investigation. He was taken to the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, Virginia, before being extradited to New Jersey on June 12.

Mazzarisi's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8. He faces up to 20 years in state prison on the charges.