Social media posts lead police to uncover illegal firearms, knives, and explosives in suburban New Jersey home
A New Jersey man’s bold Facebook posts have led to his arrest after police discovered a vast stockpile of illegal guns, knives, and explosives inside his quiet suburban home. Kyle Arena, 35, of Totowa, NJ, is now facing multiple weapons-related charges after law enforcement raided his home on Tuesday, uncovering an arsenal of dangerous items.
Massive weapons cache found in suburban home
Totowa police seized rifles, handguns, 129 fully loaded illegal high-capacity magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition, dozens of knives, ninja stars, brass knuckles, and four explosive devices. The cache of weapons was hidden inside a crawl space in Arena’s home, according to police reports. The discovery has shocked the quiet neighborhood, with nearby residents expressing disbelief.
“I was in shock,” said neighbor Ciro Abdondanza in an interview with ABC7. “I never would have expected anything of that magnitude would happen in Totowa.”
Another resident, Carmine Cifalvi, echoed the surprise, stating, “That’s just crazy. What’s he starting his own army or something?”
Social media boasts lead to arrest
The investigation into Arena began after an anonymous tipster alerted police to his troubling social media activity. Arena had been posting photos and videos of his weapons in various Facebook groups, including a private group called “Meal Team 6.1 Mid-Tier Main Group,” which has over 14,500 members.
According to authorities, Arena regularly flaunted his illegal weapons in these posts, once pointing a gun at people while driving, and in another instance, sharing images of silencers. In one post, Arena was seen holding up a rifle to his face, pretending to take aim.
Based on the evidence from these posts, Totowa police obtained a Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order from a judge, allowing them to search Arena’s Lincoln Avenue home. Bomb-sniffing dogs also uncovered four explosives during the raid.
Father also arrested during raid
Kyle Arena’s father, 66-year-old Felix Arena, was also taken into custody during the raid. He faces charges of disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, and resisting arrest.
Kyle Arena, who was arrested without incident, is being held by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to face multiple charges related to illegal firearms and explosives possession.