NJ man charged with trying to blow up ex’s family is found dead in jail

A Middletown man charged with trying to kill his ex-girlfriend's family by blowing up their home was found dead in his Monmouth County jail cell on Thursday.

Ryan Elliot, 30, from the Leonardo section of Middletown, had been charged last week by West Whiteland, Pennsylvania police with breaking into his ex's house on Nov. 12, cutting the gas line in the basement and leaving an incendiary device.

Cynthia Scott, spokeswoman for the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, told New Jersey 101.5 that Elliot was found hanging from a bed sheet around 4:40 a.m., less than 15 minutes after a corrections officer had checked his cell and reported finding everything in order.

Medical staff were immediately dispatched to provide life-saving interventions, according to Scott. Elliott, however, was pronounced deceased at 5:08 a.m.

The ex-girlfriend had restraining order against Elliot after he had made threats against her, according to West Whiteland Detective Scott Pezick

Scott said Elliot's death is not considered suspicious, suggesting it was a suicide.

Elliot was arrested at his home on Friday and was being held at the jail in Freehold Township since Saturday awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania on five counts of criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide, attempted murder, burglary, reckless endangerment of another person, cruelty to animals and arson endangering property.

The Asbury Park Press first reported Elliot's death earlier on Thursday.

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