Oswaldo Domingo Xil-Argueta, 29, of Union City has been arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated arson and burglary in connection with a fire set at a Jewish synagogue and the Mesivta Sanz Yeshiva on 34th Street in Ušnion City,Ā accoą¶£rding toš Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.
On July 3, just befš“ore 3 a.m., members of the Union City Police Department and the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue responded to 318 34th Street on reports of a working fire.
Though the fire had escalź¦”ated to two alarms, there were no occupants in the building at the time and no injuries.
Xil-Argueta was arrested at 325 34th Street in šUnion City just after 4 a.m. on July 5 by the UCš§PD and the Hudson County Prosecutorās Office Regional Arson Task Force.
Because the arson was at a place of public worship, the aggravated arson charge has been elevated to a first-degree offense. There is no evidence as yet that this was a bias incident, authoritiesā said.
On July 13, during a hearing before Judge Paul DePascale, the stateās motion forĀ pšretrial detention was approvź¦ŗed after the state argued Xil-Argueta posed a danger to theĀ community.
Suarez credited the Union City Police Departmentš and the Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force for the investigation and arrest.
The above chaā±rš»ges are merely accusations. Xil-Argueta is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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