A Holmdel man is facing charges after allegedly igniting Molotov cocktail explosive devices on three nights in a business parking lot in Hazlet, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced.
Brendan J. Dunne, 24, was charged with four counts of third degree possession of a
destructive device, as well as the petty disorderly persons offense of disorderly conduct. He faces up to five years in prison on each of the third degree crimes, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
On July 19 at 10:10 p.m., a police officer from the Hazlet Police Department responded to a report of a fire in the parking lot of the Route 35 Costco and Cinemark movie theater complex.
After extinguishing the fire, the responding officer detected the source of the fire to be what appeared as a homemade Molotov cocktail, a glass bottle containing charred
pieces of cardboard.
A subsequent investigation by the Hazlet Police Department revealed similar fires being ignited at the same location on July 21 and two on July 22.
With the assistance of officers from the Holmdel Police Department and detectives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Dunne was identified and subsequently arrested, according to the press release.
Linskey credited the efforts of the local police departments, as well as the FBI and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security for the investigation that led to the defendant’s identification and arrest before any injury or property damage could occur.
Hazlet Police Chief Ted Wittke was quoted in the press release saying, “Whenever crimes like this occur, there is an urgent need to catch those who are responsible. We are happy we were able to work with our local, county, state and federal law enforcement partners to bring this case to a quick conclusion.”
Dunne remains incarcerated in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, pending a
detention hearing.
