On Saturday night, the FBI, hazmat and bomb squad converged against the Victorian house in Ridgewood. It is where prosecutors say Dr. Roberto Rivera was stockpiling weapons and a large amount of a volatile chemical used in bomb-making, although investigators have not specified which chemical.
"Basically they said I was in no danger," said neighbor Darryl Kubian, who has lived in Ridgewood for three years, "If it is everything they said, I'm actually shocked because this is a very quiet neighborhood, quiet town, so I am not sure what he is thinking."
Police say they first responded to the multi-family home on Friday night after getting a report that hazardous material was in one of the apartments. It is not clear who called them.
Once inside, FBI agents and bomb squad members found chemicals used to make explosive devices as well as a number of assault weapons and firearms.
Dr. Rivera is facing a number of charges including unlawful possession of a destructive device – a stun gun, an assault firearm and a large capacity ammunition magazine. He also faces several charges of "recklessly creating a risk of widespread injury or damage".
"Nothing certainly like this has happened on our street, and to know it happened just a few houses down is shocking," said neighbor Rory Mealiffe.
Dr. Rivera has a license to practice medicine in New York, but prosecutors say he is unemployed.
His bail was set at a million dollars
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