Man charged in firebombing synogogue had blueprints of Camden school

Camden County authorities have been notified that a man charged in the firebombing of a Bergen County synagogue had blueprints for a Berlin Township school.

But officials said the man found the John F. Kennedy Elementary School building plans in a trash bin and did not appear to have any intention to attack the school.

Aakash Dalal, 19, of New Brunswick, N.J., was charged with Anthony Graziano in a Jan. 3 arson at Congregation K'Hal Adath Jeshurun in Paramus in which no one was injured.

Eight days after that fire, police said, Molotov cocktails were thrown at Congregation Beth El in Rutherford, Bergen County, igniting a blaze in the second-floor bedroom of Rabbi Nosson Schuman's residence. There were no injuries.

Dalal is not believed to have participated in those acts, but he faces charges of conspiracy, aggravated arson, and bias intimidation. He has pleaded not guilty.

The school blueprints surfaced during the investigation. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office notified Camden County the blueprints were found among Dalal's possessions.

"Based on the Bergen County and federal investigation, Dalal's alleged method and motivations did not include targeting elementary schools," the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Thursday, "and there was no credible evidence to warrant any further actions or notification to the community."