Newark Man Tried To Burn Wife’s Home Down, Found Guilty

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County jury convicted a Newark man of second-degree arson after he tried to set fire to the apartment building his wife was living in, prosecutors announced Friday.

Delvin Wilson, 56, of Newark, was found guilty of second-degree attempted aggravated arson and third-degree terroristic threats, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors released the following statement about the incident:

“On Oct. 13, 2021, at about 3:20 a.m., Wilson was captured on video surveillance attempting to set fire to an apartment building on 15th Avenue in Newark, where his wife lived. The two were married but lived separately. As the video showed, Wilson poured motor oil on the exterior wall of her bedroom and tried to light the oil with a lighter. Prior to the attempted arson, Wilson left a voicemail on his wife’s cell phone stating he intended to set her building on fire.”

The jury convicted Wilson after a two-day trial and about three hours of deliberation, prosecutors said.

Wilson has seven prior felony convictions in New Jersey, prosecutors added.

“This verdict would not have been possible but for a brave victim, who was willing to come to court and face the individual who did this to her,” said Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Dellera, who tried the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 3. Wilson faces more than a decade in New Jersey state prison, prosecutors said.

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