Hackensack Man Charged After Torching Police Cars Near Mosque and Gas Pumps, Prosecutors Say

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

HACKENSACK, NJ — September 3, 2025 — A Hackensack man is facing multiple arson charges after allegedly setting three police cars on fire in a municipal lot located dangerously close to a mosque and gas pumps, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Cars Set Ablaze Near Bergen County Islamic Center

Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 30, Hackensack police and firefighters rushed to Municipal Parking Lot T at 78 Trinity Place, where three marked police cruisers were engulfed in flames. The lot is used for overflow police parking and sits next to the Bergen County Islamic Center and municipal gas pumps.

Investigators say Jaime Magnelli, Sr., 78, of Hackensack, approached the unoccupied vehicles, doused them with accelerant, and deliberately set them on fire before fleeing.

Fire Posed Major Risk

While no injuries were reported, prosecutors stressed the extreme danger: the blaze broke out just feet away from both the Islamic Center and the city’s fuel pumps.

“This fire could have resulted in catastrophic damage or loss of life,” officials said.

Charges Filed Against Suspect

Magnelli was arrested on September 2 following a joint investigation by Hackensack Police, Hackensack Fire Department, and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. He now faces:

• Second-degree aggravated arson

• Second-degree causing or risking widespread injury or damage

• Third-degree arson

• Third-degree criminal mischief

• Fourth-degree failure to control or report a fire

He is currently being held at the Bergen County Jail, pending his first court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.

Community Concerns

The proximity of the fire to a mosque and municipal fuel station has raised concerns about public safety and potential targeting of sensitive locations. Authorities have not confirmed a motive.

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