Crime & Safety

Union Beach Man Charged With Setting Hazlet First Aid Building on Fire

Ronald Schroeder was briefly a volunteer with the Hazlet First Aid organization.

A Union Beach man was charged with setting fire inside the lounge area of the Hazlet first aid squad building, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Monday.

Ronald Schroeder, 43, of Union Beach was arrested by Hazlet police and charged with second degree aggravated arson, in connection with a fire at the Hazlet Township First Aid Unit 1 building Sunday night. 

Hazlet firefighters from the West Keansburg Fire Department and North Centerville Fire Department responded to a call at 5:07 p.m. Sunday reporting a fire at the Hazlet First Aid Unit 1 building, 33 Leocadia Court. The firefighters ultimately extinguished the blaze with assistance from fire departments from Union Beach and Matawan.

A cooperative investigation by the Hazlet Police Department, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office into the origin and cause of the fire, determined the fire was intentionally set, according to prosecutors. 

As part of the investigations, it was determined a lone first aid squad member was inside the building at the time of the fire and was also seen exiting the building shortly thereafter. That man was identified as Ronald Schroeder, who has been a member of the volunteer Hazlet First Aid organization for a short period of time, prosecutors said. The investigation ultimately confirmed Schroeder was inside the building and allegedly set the fire in the lounge area prior to leaving while the fire began to intensify. Schroeder left the scene, but returned while firefighters were still on scene, according to prosecutors.
 
Schroeder is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $100,000 bail with no option to post 10 percent


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