Troy R. Taylor
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 60-year-old TROY R. TAYLOR of Hackensack, NJ on charges of aggravated arson, arson, failure to control or report a fire, theft of a motor vehicle, and criminal mischief. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Garfield Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Delaney.
On Friday, July 11, 2025, at approximately 1:17 a.m., the Garfield Police Department received a report that a 2019 Honda Civic was stolen from the area of Monroe Street. Upon arrival, officers determined that the owner of the vehicle placed the keys on the bar while patronizing a local tavern, and the keys subsequently went missing. While speaking to the owner of the vehicle, responding officers observed an active car fire on the 100 block of Monroe Street. Officers confirmed that the stolen 2019 Honda Civic was on fire and summoned the Garfield Fire Department to extinguish the fire.
Following the preliminary investigation and fire suppression efforts, the Garfield Police Department and Garfield Fire Department notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad. Detectives from the Arson Squad, along with investigators from the Bergen County Arson Task Force, initiated a joint investigation with the Garfield Police Department. Ultimately, the investigation revealed that TROY R. TAYLOR removed the keys from the bar, stole the Honda Civic, and intentionally set it on fire before walking away from it.
As a result of the investigation, on July 11, 2025, TROY R. TAYLOR was arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated arson, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1a(1); third-degree arson, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1b(2); third-degree theft by unlawfully taking (motor vehicle), N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3b; third-degree criminal mischief, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-3a(1); and fourth-degree failure to take responsible measure to put out, control, or report a fire, N.J.S.A. 2C:17-1c(1). TAYLOR was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Garfield Police Department and the Garfield Fire Department for their assistance in this investigation. Additionally, Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Wyckoff Police Department for its participation in the Bergen County Arson Task Force.
