New Jersey man faces arson charges for livestreaming apartment fire on social media.

A 42-year-old man from New Jersey faces multiple charges, including arson, after allegedly setting his apartment building ablaze and live streaming the incident on Facebook. Authorities in Bergen County have reported that the man, identified as Alexander Pluchino, was taken into custody following the event that transpired on Tuesday morning in Lyndhurst.

At approximately 8:25 a.m., emergency personnel were called to respond to a fire at a multi-family residence located on Valley Brook Avenue. Upon arrival, police officers discovered flames engulfing debris in the building’s common stairwell. Immediate action was taken as officers extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher and safely removed a resident who was located close to the blaze.

The individual rescued was later identified as Pluchino, who authorities believe deliberately ignited cardboard and other materials in the stairwell. Disturbingly, Pluchino had been livestreaming for nearly 20 minutes prior to the arrival of law enforcement, continuing to record even after being brought outside to safety. The video stream was reportedly halted only when firefighters intervened to take the camera from him.

Prior to this incident, Pluchino had been actively sharing videos online for several weeks, some extending up to three hours and featuring unusual content, including instances where he was reportedly fully unclothed. Pluchino’s latest broadcast remained accessible on Facebook as of Wednesday evening. In the footage, he is seen playing rap music while smoking and panning the camera over a cluttered staircase. At one point, he displays a piece of cardboard with a handwritten notation, potentially a request for the state’s insurance department to contact him.

Pluchino sets the cardboard on fire and tosses it out of view, igniting the debris nearby while a loud fire alarm resonates in the background. As law enforcement and firefighters gain entry to the premises, they seize Pluchino’s camera during their evacuation efforts. The stream concludes with the sound of a fire truck, coupled with a voice asking how to turn off the recording device.

Following the incident, Pluchino was incarcerated at the Bergen County Jail, where he awaits further legal proceedings without the option for bail. Charges against him include aggravated arson, arson, and criminal mischief, among others. The investigation reflects concerns over public safety and the implications of reckless behavior in a residential setting.

Authorities emphasize the urgency of understanding such actions’ potential to endanger lives and property, marking this case a significant reminder of the severe consequences accompanying such crime.