By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
A 28-year-old man was arrested last night after police found him hiding outside a Port Monmouth home with an explosive device, Middletown police said.
Zachary Sullivan, who last lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged with attempted arson, aggravated assault, possession of a destructive device and causing or risking widespread injury or damage.
Police found him hiding behind a car in the driveway of a Willow Drive residence after receiving a call of a possible prowler in the neighborhood. Sullivan’s clothes were covered in a black substance he told police was motor oil and was going to pour it on the home’s porch as a Halloween prank.
Police later found a Rat Smoke bomb, a white, powdery substance in a brown paper bag and a water bottle with a dark liquid in it.
JD Rockafellow, who lives at the home, told police that he knew Sullivan and allowed him to stay at the house for about a week over the summer. He added that he and Sullivan had a previous dispute over financial issues.
Along with one police officer, Sullivan was taken to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank for treatment from the black substance.
Police continue to investigate the incident while Sullivan is being held in jail on a $200,000 bond.
Here’s the full text of a press release from the police: sullivan-press-release
