Man Torches Bergen Co. Hotel Room, Assaults Staff, Prosecutor Says

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A 55-year-old Rutherford man was arrested Thursday after setting fire to his hotel room and assaulting a staff member, prosecutors said.

Vincente Carabell was charged with aggravated arson, arson, risk of causing widespread injury or damage, criminal mischief, and assault, said the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutors said that on Thursday, just before 11:30 a.m., the East Rutherford Police Department and the East Rutherford Fire Department responded to reports that a guest set fire to a room following a dispute at the Fairfield Inn hotel.

Police and the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team’s patrol units, which were in the area, determined that the suspect fled the hotel prior to their arrival, prosecutors said.

First responders made sure all guests of the property were evacuated safely.

Investigators determined that Carabello "intentionally set fire to his hotel room, activating the sprinkler system and causing damage to the property. Carabello fled the hotel room and physically assaulted a hotel staff member he encountered while fleeing."

The staff member was not seriously injured, prosecutors said.

Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the East Rutherford Police Department later found Carabello.

He was taken to the Bergen County Jail to await his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.