Raritan Man Arrested, Charged With Arson, Resisting Arrest: Cops

RARITAN, NJ — A 26-year-old Raritan man was arrested over the weekend after police said he lit a garbage can on fire in front of a business and then tried to punch a police officer when officers approached the man on the street and asked him to stop walking.

Steven Niflis was arrested Saturday morning and charged with third-degree arson and third-degree resisting arrest after witnesses pointed the man out to police. Officers arrived in the area of East Somerset Street and Thompson Street at 8:18 a.m. after witnesses told police they saw Niflis setting a garbage can on fire in front of a business on Somerset Street.

After witnesses described Niflis to officers, he was spotted by officers walking on West Somerset Street, police said. A police department spokesperson said that when officers approached Niflis and asked him to stop walking, he attempted to punch one of the officers but missed and was quickly apprehended by officers.

Meanwhile, the Raritan Borough Fire Department was able to contain the fire to the trash can before any further damage could be done. Niflis was taken to the Somerset County Jail to await a detention hearing, police said in a news release.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact the Raritan Borough Police Department at 908-725-6700 or via the STOPit app. Information can also be provided to the Somerset County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). Information can be provided anonymously.