Neighbors Say They Called Police Many Times Before Cliffwood Beach House Fire

Cliffwood Beach, NJ - Those who live near the Cliffwood Beach home that was seriously damaged in a fire Thursday say they called Aberdeen Township police many times in the past year to report various concerns about the man who lived there.

Neighbors also say four pit bulls were trapped in the burning home, and that it was a man who lived across the street who tried to rush in and save the animals. Unfortunately, the flames were too intense: The dogs could be heard barking, but two perished in the fire and the remaining two cannot be accounted for, police said.

The fire broke out at 2:25 p.m. Thursday, at a home at Malden Drive and Elmwood. When firefighters got there, the small house was engulfed in flames. The home's sole occupant got out, but those who live nearby said they could hear dogs barking as the home burned. A man who lives across the street, Frank Currier, rushed over.

"He kept asking the man who lived there, 'Where are the dogs?' But he was so out of it he didn't even answer," said one woman who lives nearby, who didn't want to give her name. "The neighbor kicked in the door, but the fire was too intense. He could hear the dogs barking, as did everyone else. Unfortunately they could not get out."

Aberdeen Police Chief John Powers said police are aware that, at some point, there were four dogs at the home. However, only two dogs were found dead at the scene.

Both pit bulls, a male and a female, died of smoke inhalation and there were no indications they were neglected, or that they were burned, said Ross LiCitra, the Chief of Police for the Monmouth County SPCA Humane Police, who was at the scene. They were found in a back bedroom, not in cages, he said.

"You would never even know they were in a fire if it weren't for the fact that they were dead," he said. "The firemen searched the house and they cannot find remains of the other two dogs, which is really sad. Hopefully they ran away."

The man who lives there has not been charged with a crime. But neighbors have been calling in complaints about the homeowner for over a year now, they say.

"He's been a threat to our street. Our children feel unsafe playing outside and they walk the long way home from school to avoid him," said Lisa Currier, who lives across the street. It was her husband who tried to save the animals.

"He kicked the door in after the man climbed out the broken kitchen window, leaving the dogs behind. But the flames and smoke were too much and he could not get them," she said.

She said he often walks through the neighborhood carrying a machete, and has threatened to set fire to his home before.

Aberdeen police confirmed they have received previous calls about the man, Chief Powers said.

"Officers took appropriate action based on the circumstances and information they were presented with," he said. "He was arrested on September 28 on a contempt-of-court warrant out of Old Bridge municipal court after officers located him at the Krauszer’s store on South Concourse. He posted bail and was released."

In fact, Currier said she called Aberdeen police just hours before the fire broke out, at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, because the man was swinging a machete in the yard as the four pit bulls surrounded him. The night before, another neighbor called 911 because he was allegedly threatening to blow his home up because "people" were after him, she said.

"He got out from (police) custody last night around 7:30 p.m. free to roam our neighborhood," said Currier. "We've lived in fear of him doing this and it happened ... We are all saddened by the death of these animals and that a home in our neighborhood is burned down due to the lax response of our police department."

"If there are residents, neighbors, or other witnesses that have information that would aid in the investigation, I urge them to contact our detectives," said Chief Powers. The Aberdeen detective's bureau phone number is (732) 566-2054. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is also investigating the fire.

Related: 2 Dogs Died in Cliffwood Beach Fire Thursday

Active Fire in Cliffwood Beach Thursday Afternoon