Mahwah Man Indicted After Causing Bio Chem Fire Scare in Society Village Complex

A Mahwah man who forced 45 of his neighbors to evacuate their condominium complex after causing a “chemo bio fire” scare was indicted by a grand jury in Hackensack.

Maksim Burakhovich, who was 27 at the time of the incident, was charged with sounding a false public alarm, possession of a knife, burglary, property damage and eluding police, according to Cliffview Pilot.

The indictment comes after Mahwah Police responded to the Society Village condominium complex on June 10 after a neighbor reported seeing a gas mask, a college graduation degree indicating a degree in Chemical Engineering, a plastic baggie containing bullets and a flash suppressor attachment for a rifle and a handwritten note warning not to come in and that a “chemo bio fire cannot be subdued,” Mahwah Police Chief James N. Batelli said.

Police say Burakhovich shut the door when he saw the officers, threw on a dead bolt and refused to open the door.

Mahwah police set up a perimeter around the complex and called in the Bergen County Police SWAT Team, Bomb Squad and Haz Mat, Chief Batelli said.

A Bergen County Police bomb robot later entered Burakhovich’s home and provided a live video feed back to the post, where police tried to determine Burakhovich’s location.

The bomb robot’s live feed determined Burakhovich had moved pieces of furniture to block the hallway where bedrooms were located. First using pepper spray, members of the Bergen County Police SWAT team entered the home and conducted a search. Upon searching the attic, authorities discovered a small opening that had been cut through sheetrock that led to an adjacent apartment. Police entered the adjacent apartment and found Burakhovich fitting on the floor naked, according to Chief Batelli.

Burakhovich, who did not resist, was arrested and transported to Bergen Regional Medical Center for an involuntary psychiatric evaluation. His parents, who arrived at the scene, told police “their son had emotional issues and was on several medications, which he had apparently had not been taking as prescribed,” Chief Batelli said.

During the incident, about 45 residents were evacuated to the Mahwah Senior Center and were allowed to return to their homes once the Bergen County Bomb Squad cleared the scene.