FIREMAN, YOUTHS ACCUSED OF ARSON IN FAIRVIEW FIRE HELD IN MAY 9 BLAZE AT HOUSE

By Michael O. Allen and Lisa Rein, Record Staff Writers | Friday, July 26, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B03

A 21-year-old volunteer firefighter and two borough juveniles were arrested Wednesday on charges that they broke into an abandoned house on May 9, doused it with kerosene, and set it on fire, officials said.
George Joseph Leuffgen of Maple Street and two 17-year-olds, whom Bergen County Prosecutor John J. Fahy declined to identify because of their age, were charged Thursday with burglary and aggravated arson.
Fahy said someone cut off a padlock in the rear of the single-family house at 658 Prospect Ave. on the day of the fire. The fire started in the first-floor bathroom of the house and was reported about 1:10 a.m., he said.
“When investigators went to the scene right after the fire,” Fahy said, “there was a strong odor of kerosene.”
Investigators subsequently received information that Leuffgen was involved in setting the fire. He was arrested about 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, Fahy said.
Leuffgen was one of 80 firefighters on Fairview’s force. Craig Krivda, a councilman and the town’s fire commissioner, said he was searching for reasons why Leuffgen might have set a vacant house on fire.
“He’s a helpful guy who lends a hand whenever he’s around,” Krivda said. “Maybe for the younger guys, this is something exciting, to set a fire and put it out. I can’t figure this out.”
The prosecutor also said he did not know why Leuffgen, a four-year veteran of the department, set the fire.
“The fireman [Leuffgen] had no proprietary interest in the house. He would have gained nothing, as far as we could determine,” Fahy said.
Leuffgen was being held Thursday in the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. The juveniles were released to the custody of their parents.

Keywords: FAIRVIEW; FIREMAN; YOUTH; ARSON; PROBE

DISTRAUGHT VET JAILED AFTER STANDOFF IN FAIRVIEW

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, January 10, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B04

A 38-year-old borough man who may have been distraught over losing his job was arrested and jailed Wednesday after he barricaded himself in his apartment and threatened to kill anyone who came near, police said.
Zachary E. Mohrmann of Walker Street surrendered 2 1/2 hours after the standoff began late Tuesday, said Detective Richard Petruzzelli.
He was being held on $5,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail on charges of resisting arrest and making terroristic threats. Petruzzelli said other charges may be filed.
Mohrmann had an argument with his wife shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday and began to destroy things in his apartment, Petruzzelli said. When police arrived to calm him, his wife fled with their child to a friend’s house.
Meanwhile, Mohrmann informed police that he was a Vietnam veteran with extensive combat experience, saying he was armed and would kill anyone who came near, Petruzzelli said. His wife told police that her husband did three tours of duty in the Southeast Asian country.
“It was an extremely ticklish situation,” Petruzzelli said. “At the time, you had to take his word as gospel because we didn’t know. Thank God nobody was hurt and it wound up the right way. “
Fairview police called up the Bergen County SWAT team and asked for additional backup from Cliffside Park police, he said.
But after several hostile pronouncements, Petruzzelli said, Mohrmann broke open a front window, stuck his head out and screamed: “I’m coming out! I’m coming out! “
He threw out a toy rifle and emerged. The suspect scuffled briefly with Petruzzelli, Lt. John Schmidig of the SWAT team, and Fairview Sgt. John Pinzone before they subdued him and placed him under arrest.
Mohrmann complained of chest pains but refused treatment after being taken to Palisades General Hospital, Petruzzelli said.

Keywords: FAIRVIEW; MENTAL; HEALTH; VETERAN

TWO BOYS BADLY HURT IN RTE. 80 CAR CRASH

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, December 23, 1990

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A03

Two Fairview boys were seriously injured Saturday when the car they were riding in overturned after it was struck by another car, whose driver was charged with drunken driving by police.

A spokeswoman for Hackensack Medical Center said David Gandelman, 7, was in critical condition with head injuries, and his brother, Alan, 9, was in serious condition with unspecified injuries.

Their father, Vladimir Gandelman, 39, the driver of the car, and Zima Spevak, 52, their grandmother, were treated and released, the spokeswoman said.

Frank Farron, 32, of East Rutherford, the driver of the other car, was given a summons for driving while under the influence of alcohol, said state police Sgt. Robert Martin. Farron was not injured, Martin said.

The crash occurred about 6:45 a.m. on Interstate 80, near Exit 66 in Hackensack.

Both cars were eastbound when Farron, in the center lane, collided with Gandelman’s car as he tried to move into the right lane, Martin said.