Sussex County Prosecutor Francis Koch, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon and Byram Chief Peter J. Zabita jointly announce the arrest of Christopher Faschan, 31, of Landing, on the charges of Possession of an Explosive Device with the Purpose to Use it Unlawfully, Aggravated Assault, Terroristic Threats and Possession of an Explosive Device.
According to authorities, on Feb. 3rd and 4th representatives of these law enforcement agencies investigated an explosion and conducted a search of several areas to assure the safety of the public and the officers investigating.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon said:
“We deployed assets to Byram, Roxbury and Mount Olive in support of their investigation to maintain safety and properly collect evidence.”
“Our resources included the Morris County Bomb Squad, Explosives Detection K9, Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), and the Crime Scene Investigations Unit (CSI), for the purpose of assisting in the investigation, search warrant, and ultimately rendering the scene and surrounding area safe.”
It is alleged that Faschan drove to the residence of an alleged victim and waited in his vehicle. When the alleged victim approached, he showed her a home-made explosive device that he referred to as a bomb.
Officials say after the Defendant departed, it is alleged that he detonated the device near, or in, Lake Lackawanna. The explosion was heard by the alleged victim and multiple residents of the Lake Lackawanna community.
Subsequently, police charged Faschan on a warrant and is currently detained in the Keough Dwyer Correction Facility, with a court appearance scheduled for Feb. 8th.
The case is still under active investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-383-1570.