Somerset County Man Charged with Aggravated Arson

A Watchung man was arrested Thursday night, June 4, and charged with aggravated arson after setting a fire in a building in the Avalon Apartment Complex.

Jesus Aviles, 30, was arrested late Thursday night without incident after returning to the apartment complex, authorities said.

The Watchung Police Department, along with the Watchung and North Plainfield fire departments, responded to a fire in building nine of the Avalon Apartment Complex in Watchung shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. All residents of the building were evacuated by emergency personnel.

An investigation into the fire revealed that the blaze originated in a room containing a trash chute on the third floor of the building. Detectives said rolls of toilet paper soaked in gasoline and a hair curling iron were used to set the fire. Additionally, two gasoline cans covered in a black substance consistent with a melted plastic bag were recovered from the trash compactor on the ground floor, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Authorities said a large box of matches with green heads was also found in the third floor hallway.

Several residents said Aviles was banging on doors alerting them of a fire in the trash room, the prosecutor said. An employee of the apartment complex inquired on where the gasoline smell was coming from, but Aviles would not allow him to check his apartment.

Authorities acquired a search warrant for Aviles’ apartment, where they discovered two empty Scott brand toilet paper plastic bags, black trash bags, matches with green heads, an empty hair curling iron box and a cap for a gasoline can, which had an odor of gasoline, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Aviles returned to the apartment complex at 10 p.m. wearing a hospital identification bracelet and had suffered burns to his hands. Detectives also recognized that hair was singed on the left side of his head.

Aviles was arrested without incident and charged with second-degree aggravated arson and remanded to the Somerset County Jail.

(Photo courtesy of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office)