SECAUCUS — The marketing director of Hudson Regional Hospital was arrested Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport after police dogs found weapons in an unlocked closet in his office.

Secaucus police said K9s sniffed out the weapons in the office of Reuven Alonalayoff, 46, of Elmwood Park, during a July 18 search of the hospital after a bomb threat.

The threat turned out to be a hoax but the guns were real, Police Chief Dennis Miller said.

Police opened the unlocked closet and found:

  • 11 handguns of various calibers
  • 27 rifles/shotguns
  • A Kriss Vector .45 caliber semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine
  • A 14-round high-capacity handgun magazine.

Alonalayoff was arrested at the airport on Sunday.

ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported that he was arrested as he returned from an “extended medical trip” to Israel.

“The unsecured storage of a large cache of weaponry, especially in this location, certainly creates a risk to public safety,”  Miller said in a statement. “I commend the efforts and professionalism of all the police personnel involved in this investigation and am thankful this situation was resolved without anyone being harmed.”

Alonalayoff was charged with possession of an assault firearm and two counts of possession of a high-capacity magazine.

The hospital told NJ.com that Alonalayoff was a consultant and not a full-time employee.

In a statement to ABC 7 Eyewitness News the hospital said it was "inexcusable beyond comprehension" to have weapons in a hospital.

Hudson Regional Hospital on Tuesday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for more information.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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