Holmdel Man Charged With Arson, Weapons Offenses
Leonard J. Mazzarisi, III, 29, former of Burgandy Rd in Holmdel is charged with two counts of second degree Aggravated Arson, second degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, third degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and third degree Criminal Mischief, according to an announcement by Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Mazzarisi was arrested at a hotel in Fredericksburg, Virginia on May 30, 2018 on outstanding warrants on these charges and held in the custody of the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford, Virginia until he was extradited back to New Jersey on June 12, 2018. He is currently held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold, pending his detention hearing on Tuesday, June 29.
He is accused of setting fire to the Neuhaus Realty Agency office at 51 Main Street in the township on August 19, 2017 and again on January 27, 2018.
On May 29, 2018, Holmdel police were dispatched to 4 South Holmdel Road, the new home of Neuhaus Realty, on the report of a BB gun being fired into the building. Detectives from Holmdel Township Police Department reviewed surveillance video to determine Mazzarisi was responsible for firing the BB gun into the window of the building, and that he was driving a vehicle that matched the vehicle seen in video at the January 2018 arson at the former Neuhaus Realty location.
On each count of Aggravated Arson, Mazzarisi faces a sentence of up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. He would also be under parole supervision for five years following his release from state prison.
If convicted of Possession of Weapon for an Unlawful purpose, he faces a sentence of five to ten years in prison with a period of up to 5 years that must be served prior to becoming eligible for parole.
If convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Mazzarisi faces three to five years in state prison with a period of up to 42 months that must be served prior to becoming eligible for parole.
If convicted of Criminal Mischief, he faces up to 18 months in state prison.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact Detective Brian Weisbrot of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-800-533-7443, or Detective Sgt. Theodore Sigismondi of the Holmdel Township Police Department at 732-946-4400.
Anyone who feels the need to remain anonymous but has information about a crime can contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers confidential telephone tip-line by calling 1-800-671-4400; can text “MONMOUTH” plus their tip to 274637; or, they can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com. ; Monmouth County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of criminals and fugitives.