850 Palisade Avenue, Teaneck, NJ
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announces the following updated information regarding an apartment fire at 850 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck, NJ that occurred on Monday, February 19, 2024. The investigation is being conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Acting Chief Matthew Finck and the Teaneck Police Department under the direction of Chief Andrew McGurr.
As previously reported, the Teaneck Police Department received a 911 call on Monday, February 19, 2024, at approximately 12:30 a.m., reporting a fire at 850 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck. The Teaneck Police Department responded to the scene along with the Teaneck Fire Department and mutual aid from the Englewood and Hackensack Fire Departments. During fire suppression, first responders located and rescued three adults who were trapped in the basement apartment of the residence: 35-year-old Ranjodh Singh IV, 47-year-old Manjit Kaur, and 44-year-old Manjinder Kaur. All three fire victims were transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, but Manjit Kaur and Manjinder Kaur were transferred to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. On Monday evening, February 19, 2024, Ranjodh Singh IV died as a result of his injuries, and on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Manjinder Kaur died as a result of her injuries. Manjit Kaur remains hospitalized and is still being treated for severe burns she sustained in the fire.
Further investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Task Force, Major Crimes Unit, and Teaneck Police Department revealed that Ranjodh Singh IV, who died on February 19, 2024, utilized an accelerant, and purposely set fire to himself in the basement apartment. As a result, the fire spread rapidly through the basement and trapped the other two occupants of the apartment. Manjit Kaur, who survived, remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Teaneck Police Department; Teaneck, Englewood, and Hackensack Fire Departments; and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation, along with the Wyckoff Police Department and Englewood Fire Department, which both participate in the Bergen County Arson Task Force.
