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 an as-yet-unidentified woman. All three fire victims were transported to Hackensack University Medical Center, but Manjit Kaur and the as-yet-unidentified woman 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, the unidentified female died as a result of her injuries. Manjit Kaur remains hospitalized and is still being treated for severe burns she sustained in the fire.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Task Force, Major Crimes Unit, and Teaneck Police Department initiated an investigation and determined that the cause and origin of the fire is suspicious. Further details are not being released pending additional investigation, which is ongoing. 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 ongoing assistance in this investigation, along with the Wyckoff Police Department and Englewood Fire Department, which both participate in the Bergen County Arson Task Force.