Jilted boyfriend pleads guilty to arson

By: centraljersey.com
A Hillsborough man has pleaded guilty to aggravated arson in an incident in which he tried to set fire to the house of the new companion of his former girlfriend.
David J. Bednar, 20, of Manor Drive entered the plea Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Ann Bartlett. In exchange for the plea, the state recommended Mr. Bednar receive four years in jail, with 85 percent of the time (more than three years) to be served without parole.
The state moved to revoke the $50,000 bail. The judge concurred, sending Mr. Bednar back to the Somerset County jail pending sentencing scheduled for April 21.
Mr. Bednar has been held in the county jail since his arrest on Jan. 9. Police said Mr. Bednar poured gasoline on the outside gas meter of 43 Fox Chase Run, Hillsborough, at about 6 a.m. Sept. 20, 2009. The victim and neighbors extinguished the fire before it spread, police said.
Investigation revealed that Mr. Bednar was upset after a breakup with his girlfriend and he had set the fire to retaliate against her current boyfriend, police said. However, Mr. Bednar set fire to the wrong house; the boyfriend lived next door.
Assistant Prosecutor Frank Kolodzieski II prosecuted the case for the state.