UPDATED 2 Charged In Hoboken For Shooting Fireworks At Windows

HOBOKEN, NJ — A day after the Hoboken Police Department issued a press release pledging to crack down on illegal fireworks, they announced that they'd nabbed two suspects for shooting "high powered" fireworks toward apartment windows at the city's public housing.

Police Det. Sgt. Jonathan Mecka said that the police don't believe they were part of any larger organized effort, and that the motive is "unknown" for now.

Arrested on Tuesday, according to a release sent Wednesday afternoon from the police and the city, were Elijah Scott, 20, of Hoboken, and Tyrese High, 19, of Hoboken.

High was charged with aggravated arson, weapons possession, and possession of fireworks. Scott was charged with possession of fireworks, conspiracy to commit aggravated arson, and weapons possession.

The Hoboken Housing Authority area, in the southwest part of town, contains many of the city's low-income housing buildings and some senior buildings.

The police said in an email that they were able to view "evidence" that the pair had shot off fireworks and that they were "working together":

<blockquote>

Shortly after 12 a.m. on Monday, June 22, the Hoboken Police Department responded to the area of Third and Jackson streets on the report of fireworks being shot. When uniformed officers arrived, no one was shooting fireworks and the area appeared to be in order. On Tuesday, June 23 evidence was forwarded to the Hoboken Police Department.

The evidence clearly shows [the suspects] in possession of fireworks (Shotgun Candle high powered Roman Candles). The evidence also shows the two working together to shoot fireworks upon 320 Jackson St. striking the building and nearly missing windows. Approximately 40 windows were exposed to the potential of the firework exploding on or within the apartment.

</blockquote>

Both sets of charges were placed on a warrant and they were transported to Hudson County Correctional Facility.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Police Chief Ken Ferrante had said in a release on Monday that calls to the police about fireworks were tying up first responders.

He said there were four theories on social media about why there had been so many fireworks in Hoboken and other cities lately:

• "Support for protests"
• "Freedom of expression"
• "Teens and young adults releasing frustration for months of being stuck home due to the Covid-19 pandemic"
• "Police, fire and government doing it in retaliation of protests"

"No one knows for sure, but after dealing with this for the past 12 nights in Hoboken, I can assure our residents that police officers, firefighters nor government officials are setting off these fireworks in Hoboken," Ferrante stated.

Ferrante also had Tweeted that the police had caught a Newark man for disturbing the peace on Tuesday night:

On night 2 of our Quality of Life deployment, only 4 calls for fireworks after midnight, down from the 26 on Sunday night. A 29 yr old male from Newark was caught at 9th and Sinatra Dr and summonsed for Disturbing the Peace. https://t.co/0mtthlRCdw
— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) June" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/KenFerrant... 24, 2020

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