NJ Man Poured Gas On Woman, Threatened To Set Her On Fire Before SWAT Team Standoff: Cops

NEWFIELD, NJ — A man poured gasoline on a woman and threatened to set her on fire in a Gloucester County home, causing an hours-long standoff with law enforcement Friday that led to evacuations, shelter-in-place protocols, and utility shutoffs to prevent a potential explosion, officials said.

Dominic Polidori, 54, was arrested early Friday afternoon after barricading himself and the victim inside his home in Newfield, police said.

Officers went to the scene at 5:28 a.m. after Polidori poured gasoline on the victim, grabbed a lighter, and threatened to set her and the house on fire, police said.

When Polidori saw patrol officers, he immediately ran back inside his home on the 200 block of Northwest Boulevard, police said.

Police formed a perimeter around Polidori's house and called in the Gloucester County SWAT Team after he refused to speak with them or leave the home.

The SWAT Team standoff lasted from 7 a.m. until Polidori was arrested at 12:15 p.m.

Polidori was charged with attempted homicide and terroristic threats. He will be jailed in the Salem County Correctional Facility after police finish speaking to him, officials said around Friday afternoon.

Attorney information for Polidori wasn't immediately available.

Throughout the incident, police advised neighbors to shelter in place and only leave their homes when law enforcement contacts them. Several residents had to evacuate, and power and gas utilities were temporarily shut off because of hazardous materials in the barricaded home.

About 300 homes lost power — about a third of the small town, according to Atlantic City Electric's data. South Jersey Gas cut off gas service to about 25 homes.

Utilities have been restored, and the shelter-in-place was lifted after Polidori was arrested.

Roadways that were shut down have reopened.

The incident has left some neighbors stuck in their homes without utilities during a scorching heatwave. The borough opened cooling centers, and police advised neighbors with medical issues to call Gloucester County Dispatch so authorities could safely evacuate them.

The Franklin Township Police Department, which conducts local law enforcement for Newfield, posted incident alerts throughout the day on its Facebook page.