BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ — A 48-year-old man has been charged with aggravated arson in connection with a fire at a residence earlier this month.
John Bruno, of Berkeley Township, was charged Dec. 10 following an investigation into a brush fire on Pheasant Drive, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Berkeley Township Police and Fire Departments responded to the residence at approximately 7:20 a.m. Dec. 10 for a reported small brush fire.
Emergency personnel observed a mulch bed smoldering in front of the residence upon arrival, and the fire had already been extinguished by the Fire Department.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed the origin of the fire was in the mulch bed on the south side of the residence.
Investigators determined the cause of the fire was incendiary, with an unknown person using an open flame to ignite a liquid.
The investigation led to Bruno being identified as the individual responsible for setting the fire.
Bruno was taken into custody at Berkeley Township Police Headquarters and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is lodged pending a detention hearing.
