NJ man livestreams setting apartment fire while blasting rap music

🎥 Bergen County man livestreams himself setting fire in shared hallway

🚒 Police rush to put out flames as alarm blares and smoke fills room

🚔 Defendant was arrested just days earlier on vandalism charge

LYNDHURST — A 42-year-old Bergen County man has been accused of intentionally starting a fire in the shared hallway of his apartment building, live-streaming the entire thing on social media.

Alexander Pluchino, of Lyndhurst, faces multiple charges, including aggravated arson.

Lyndhurst police and fire officials responded to a fire at 522 Valley Brook Avenue on Tuesday at 8:25 a.m.

Livestream captures fire setup, loud music, and message to insurance

On Pluchino’s Facebook page, where he frequently live streams his activities, video from Tuesday morning shows him prepping a pile of cardboard and other items on the stairs.

A fire extinguisher is seen on a nearby table, as Pluchino eventually shows a handwritten message to state insurance to the camera, with very loud rap music streaming in the background.

He then lights that piece on fire and throws it on the stairs, where two foam gliders for use on snow or water were propped up.

Read More: Elderly Hackensack man is arrested for setting police cars on fire

Police arrive within minutes as alarm sounds

Three minutes later, as the fire alarm blares and smoke starts to fill the room, police officers burst into the building, putting out the flames and dragging Pluchino to safety.

Police and fire found evidence that Pluchino had intentionally set the fire in the stairwell of the multi-family apartment building, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

Facing multiple charges after second arrest in days

Pluchino was being held in Bergen County Jail, pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.

In addition to aggravated arson, he was also charged with arson, risk of widespread injury or damage, criminal mischief and failure to control or report a fire.

He had just been arrested days earlier, on Sept. 25, for which he faced a downgraded charge of criminal mischief for property damage.

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