Crack Cocaine Found At Site Of Bergen County Fire, Man Arrested: Prosecutors

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Investigators found crack cocaine when they responded to an apartment fire in Cliffside Park on Sunday, and charged a man with drug offenses and failing to report the blaze, prosecutors said.

Christopher Perez, 40, of Cliffside Park, was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, endangering the life of another, failure to take responsible measure to put out or control a fire, and possession with intent to use paraphernalia to inhale a control dangerous substance, said the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutors said that on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at approximately 10:35 a.m., the Cliffside Park Police Department and Fire Department responded to a fire that occurred at 238 Palisade Ave. in an apartment.

First responders notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad that the fire appeared suspicious in nature.

The investigation revealed that the apartment was unoccupied at the time of fire suppression because the resident, Perez, "left the apartment after the fire spread and did not notify the authorities," prosecutors said.

Investigators found a white powdery substance believed to be crack cocaine, prosecutors said.

The exact cause of the fire remains undetermined, prosecutors said.

Perez was taken to Bergen New Bridge Medical Center for medical evaluation and will appear in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack upon medical discharge, prosecutors said.