Authorities in New Jersey say a guest staying at a Fairfield Inn in East Rutherford “intentionally set fire to his hotel room” and “physically assaulted a hotel staff member he encountered while fleeing.”
Vincente Carabello, 55, of Rutherford, was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated arson, arson, risk of causing widespread injury or damage, criminal mischief, and assault, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a news release.
The incident, which unfolded around 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Fairfield Inn in the Meadowlands, sparked a multi-agency response, which included members of the East Rutherford Police and Fire Departments as well as Bergen County Regional SWAT Team’s county patrol units.
It allegedly stemmed from an argument Carabello had with a hotel employee, officials said.
The fire, which was quickly extinguished by first responders, activated the hotel’s sprinkler system and caused damage to the property, Musella said. All guests were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported, he added.
The hotel staff member who was allegedly assaulted by Carabello was not seriously injured.
Carabello, who had fled the hotel before the arrival of police, was arrested a short time later by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the East Rutherford Police Department.
He was then taken to the Bergen County Jail, where he’s being held pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.
