He might need to pull strings instead of alarms to get out of this one.
A councilman in Paterson, N.J., was arrested Tuesday and accused of pulling the fire alarm inside City Hall, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Luis Velez, 58, was charged with creating a false public alarm, NJ.com reported. He has denied the allegations.
Video obtained by the Paterson Press shows Velez walking through Paterson’s City Hall on Sept. 8, 2024, alongside two unidentified women. The clip shows Velez and the women step inside another room.
Some time later, Velez is seen stepping out of the room and messing with multiple things along one wall. Afterward, the fire alarm can be seen going off throughout the building.
“In that video, Councilman Velez can be seen touching the fire alarm box with his hand until the fire alarm is set off,” the prosecutor’s office told the Paterson Press. “There was no fire or emergency at City Hall, which had to be evacuated.”
Velez, through his lawyer, slammed the criminal charges as ridiculous. An outspoken, fiery representative for Paterson’s 5th ward, Velez previously said he was planning to run for mayor of the city next year.
“Let it be clear, Councilman Velez is innocent of this frivolous charge and will vigorously and aggressively defend himself,” attorney Michael P. De Marco told NJ.com. “It is truly unfortunate that the resources of the taxpayers of the great county of Passaic are being expended on a matter such as this.”
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