Man Who Set Fire To Girlfriend's Hillsborough Home, Found Guilty

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A Somerville man was found guilty of setting fire to his girlfriend's Hillsborough home while eight people slept inside in December 2018.

Patrick M. Hammond, 34, of South Richards Avenue in Somerville was found guilty on Wednesday of 10 of the 11 counts charged against him.

Hammond was found guilty on second-degree aggravated arson, endangering the welfare of another, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of animal cruelty and one count of criminal mischief, confirmed Frank Roman, a spokesman with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

The only count Hammond was not found guilty of was attempted murder, Roman said.

Hammond is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9.

On Dec. 30, 2018 at about 12:40 a.m. a fire was reported on Starview Drive just off Amwell Road in the Flagtown section of Hillsborough. Read More: Ex-Boyfriend Charged With Setting Fire To Hillsborough Home: SCPO

Eight people, who were inside the home, were able to escape. However, a family pet cat did not get out in time and reportedly died in the fire.

A police investigation found that Hammond, a former boyfriend of a woman who lived at the home, had reportedly threatened to set fire to a truck at the home.

Hammond had also sent a photo of the house on fire about two minutes after the fire was reported through text to a friend, Hillsborough Police discovered.

Police searched the area and found him at about 1:36 a.m. on foot in the area of East Mountain Road, about three-quarters of a mile from the Starview Drive home, police report.

An investigation of the fire at the home by the Hillsborough Township Police Department along with detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, and the Somerset County Fire Investigations Unit found that the fire was intentionally set near the outside of the home.

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