Name Released By Authorities of Second Victim in Fatal December Fire in Hoboken

This afternoon, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez released the name of the second victim of last month’s fatal fire on Jackson Street in Hoboken.   The second fire victim, found at 38 Jackson Street, on December 20, 2021 has been identified as 61-year-old Alexander von Schlinke.   His name had previously been released on social media by numerous sources, but was not officially released by law enforcement until today.

The victim’s identity is being released after members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Regional Arson Task Force worked diligently to locate and notify the victim’s next of kin.

On Monday, December 20, 2021, at approximately 12:20 a.m., an on-duty Hoboken Police Officer heard a loud explosion in the area of Jackson Street. First responders arriving at the scene found an active fire in a warehouse located at 38 Jackson Street. The Hoboken Fire Department responded and was assisted in extinguishing the fire by the Jersey City Fire Department and North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue. Several surrounding buildings sustained fire and water damage.

During fire suppression activities, firefighters found two fire victims in the warehouse. Rose Marie Vos, 60, and Alexander von Schlinke, 61, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The cause and manner of death are pending the findings of the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

A preliminary investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Regional Arson Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the origin of the fire to be in the rear of the first floor at Glass & Vapor House LLC and the cause has been ruled an accident.

Investigators believe the presence of flammable material within that business likely contributed to the fire. The Regional Arson Task Force continues to investigate this incident with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Jersey State Fire Marshal, the Hoboken Fire Department, and Hoboken Police Department.