Ex-Budd Lake resident indicted on arson charges
A former tenant of Eagle Rock Village in Budd Lake was indicted Tuesday on charges of deliberately setting a fire in his apartment by covering a lighted candle with clothing and opening two propane tanks in his unit.
A Morris County grand jury issued an indictment that charges Douglas Joseph Scherr, 34, with two counts of aggravated arson and one count each of creating a widespread risk and hindering his own apprehension or prosecution.
The aggravated arson charges allege that Scherr put human lives and property at risk on May 2, 2014.
Authorities said at the time that Scherr fled to New York after setting the blaze in Apartment 8A but he was quickly apprehended, waived extradition and was returned to Morris County.
During a bail review last year, Scherr told a Superior Court judge that he went to New York on a pre-planned vacation. A self-employed landscaper, he said he expected to live with relatives in Hopatcong since he was barred from returning to Eagle Rock Village.
Authorities said that Scherr as a juvenile committed a sex-related offense in Sussex County and as a result must register his address with police under the terms of Megan's Law. Scherr has a lengthy criminal history, including failure to register his address, criminal mischief, and contempt of court, authorities said.
Emergency workers were dispatched at 3:13 a.m. May 2 to Apartment 8A on a call of a smoke condition that set a fire alarm blaring. Responders encountered heavy smoke, and firefighters extinguished a blaze in the kitchen area. The fire source was determined to be a candle situated underneath a chair with clothing draped over it. Propane tanks also were in the apartment, and open to emit a flammable substance into the air, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.
Scherr was not home when responders arrived. Officials evacuated adjacent apartments and no one was injured, including a family of five who lived above his unit.
Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@njpressmedia.com.