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MONROE: Family’s home attacked with ‘explosive devices’

By David Kilby, Special Writer
 MONROE — A Laquinta Court family awoke at 4:42 a.m. July 14 to the sounds of explosions in their home.
   Three township men were later arrested and charged with intentionally firing at least three “explosive devices” at the neighbor’s 4 Laquinta Court home and setting it on fire early that morning, according to police.
   According to police, the three men allegedly delivered several explosives at the home with two of the explosives setting the attic on fire, and another exploding in a teenage daughter’s bedroom.
   Jeanne Bezerra, owner of the house, said the explosives were “launched” from their own backyard.
   Officials would not say exactly how the devices were delivered.
   She said five explosive cartridges struck the house, and her son, Alex, 22, quickly put out the one that exploded in his 14-year-old sister’s bedroom.
   ”(Alex) told my daughter, ‘You have to leave now!’” Ms. Bezerra said while describing the scene. “The bomb started a fire in the room. My son put out the fire and the other bombs went into the attic.”
   The family of five then called 911 and hid in a closet upstairs. The operator asked them to leave the house, but they were afraid they would get killed if they left, Ms. Bezerra said.
   Eventually they did leave the house and headed toward the train tracks nearby, as the three young men allegedly continued to shoot explosives toward them, she said.
   The men charged in the alleged attack, Michael Cavallo, 18, and his brother, Jonathan Cavallo, 22, live down the block from the Bezerra family, and the third man, Matthew Debski, lives at 41 Brandon Avenue, according to police.
   Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman James O’Neill would not identify the type of explosive devices used or discuss a possible motive for the attack.
   Monroe Township Police and Monroe Fire Department as well as firefighters from Spotswood, Helmetta and Jamesburg arrived at the scene and the fire was quickly extinguished, police said.
   Local and county investigators then joined New Jersey State Police in tracing the explosive devices back to the Cavallo home at 56 Bay Hill Boulevard, according to police.
   ”The Monroe Township Police and Monroe Fire Department were amazing,” Ms. Bezerra said. “Everybody was on it. They did everything right. They made sure immediately that everyone was out of the house and the fire was out. Then they sent out a bomb squad. Only once they were sure everyone was safe, did they begin (the) criminal investigation.”
   The three men are each charged with 21 counts in the alleged attack, including, eight counts each of arson, five counts each of aggravated assault, one count each of criminal mischief, one count each of trespass and six counts each of possession of explosive devices for an unlawful purpose, according to police.
   Mr. O’Neill said that most of the counts are second-degree crimes and could carry a prison sentence of 5-10 years for each of those counts in addition to fines.
   He also said that the counts could be consolidated before the case is resolved in court.
   The family’s homeowner insurance, Insurance Restoration Specialists, arrived at the house the same day to assess the damage, and on Monday, cleaned out and trucked away dozens of bags of debris, consisting mostly of burned insulation from the attic.
   Insurance representatives at the scene Monday said it’s rare for them to get a call for this kind of incident from a suburban neighborhood.
   An Eyewitness News van settled in the normally quiet cul-de-sac Monday to cover the story, and Good Morning America has expressed interest in the incident as well, according to Ms. Bezerra.
   ”It’s sensationalism,” said Jim Paluzzi, a representative of the insurance company. “How often does this happen in this area?”
   But despite all of the curiosity, all possible motives for why the three young men attacked the Bezerra house are only speculative at this point.
   ”What most people want from the story, the ‘Why?’, we can’t talk about (that) right now,” Ms. Bezerra said.
   No one answered the door of the Cavallo residence Monday afternoon and Matthew Debski’s family was also not available for comment.
   Neighbors in the area did not wish to be quoted, but said the Cavallo brothers have shot BBs through at least one neighbor’s window and egged other houses in the neighborhood before.
   ”We’re very grateful we’re not hurt,” Ms. Bezerra said. “Our whole house could have been destroyed.”
   The three defendants are being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick in lieu of $250,000 each with no 10 percent option, according to police.