Police Checking Area Synagogues After Arrest of Accused Firebomber
Checks are precautionary measure, prosecutor says.
Synagogues within 10 miles of the Lodi home of an accused firebomber will be checked by police dog teams for accelerants and flammables, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said.
The Bergen County Police Department and New Jersey State Police began checks Wednesday afternoon and will continue through Friday, Molinelli said. The sweeps were called precautionary and authorities have not said there was any specific threat.
“I am advising the public of this initiative so that if they observe canine search teams in the area, that they be aware of its purpose and objective,” Molinelli said in a news release.
Dogs trained to sniff out accelerants were called in from the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Essex and Morris Sheriff's Offices, northjersey.com reported.
The checks came after authorities charged 19-year-old Anthony Graziano with firebombing synagogues in Paramus and Rutherford. Graziano rode his bike to both crimes, Molinelli has said.
Graziano pleaded not guilty in Superior Court in Hackensack on Wednesday. He is charged with nine counts of attempted murder and one count each of bias intimidation and aggravated arson in connection with the Rutherford incident.
The attacks prompted increased patrols by county and local police at area religious sites. In Teaneck, police assigned more officers to check synagogues and released safety tips for the community.
Graziano is being held at the Bergen County Jail on $5 million bail, according to records.