Deptford Firefighter Admits to Arson

A Deptford firefighter admitted to turning the tables on his profession by committing arson in the township in early 2012.

Michael S. Petrilak, 23, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree aggravated arson for a Jan. 26, 2012, fire. Petrilak, of the 500 block of Elm Avenue in Deptford, testified that he and a codefendant set fire to a vacant Cattell Road home, using gasoline he obtained from a Deptford firehouse.

Petrilak, who has been in jail since he was arrested in February 2012, will be sentenced March 1 for the crime. Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Margaret Cipparrone will recommend a five-year sentence in state prison and one year of parole ineligibility. The court also will recommend Petrilak for evaluation for possible treatment in a fire-setter program, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Petrilak will be barred from holding public positions in New Jersey in the future.

The codefendant—Lewis R. Brooks Jr., 20, of Westville—and Petrilak will share in a $60,000 restitution payment. Brooks' case is pending. He and Petrilak were arrested and indicted at the same time. 

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