E.B. police charge three with setting brush fires EAST BRUNSWICK - A township man and two residents of South River are accused of setting a series of brush fires at various locations over the past three months. The trio was arrested May 9 after police responded to a brush fire at 7:46 p.m. in the area of Port Street and Helmetta Boulevard, near the South Brunswick border. A resident told police that a vehicle had been seen in the area just prior to the fire being discovered. Two people were seen getting out of a red Ford Explorer and going into a wooded area, before returning to the vehicle and leaving the area. Fire inspectors found evidence at the scene that the fire had been intentionally set. Detectives were called to the scene and were able to obtain identifying information on the suspects' vehicle, which led to the arrest of Carmen G. Ditrillo Jr., 21, of East Brunswick, Antonio M. Pereira, 18, of South River, and Robert C. Sauers, 18, of South River, according to East Brunswick police. Police alleged that the three suspects had intentionally set fires off Port Street, Edgeboro Road, in another wooded area off Ellison Avenue. They also alleged that they set a brush fire in South Brunswick. "They were described to me as large brush fires," said East Brunswick Police Lt. William Krause. The fires took place between Feb. 28 and May 9, and police said there was evidence that all the fires had been intentionally set, using an accelerant. Area firefighters extinguished the blazes. Each of the suspects was charged with six counts of aggravated arson, and bail was set at $5,000 each. The investigation was headed by East Brunswick Detective Paul Natalicchio, with assistance provided by Fire Inspector Joseph Katora of the East Brunswick District 1 Fire Co., Fire Marshal William Johnson of the East Brunswick District 2 Fire Co., and Section Fire Warden John Riegh of the New Jersey State Forestry Service.