Man with guns at HQ Plaza wore bullet-proof vest

A man who aroused suspicions Wednesday as he walked around inside Headquarters Plaza in Morristown was wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a fake badge and backpack loaded with handcuffs, two Glock handguns, ammunition magazines and an expandable baton, a prosecutor said Friday.

Andrew Pfitzenmayer, 26, of Peapack-Gladstone, was charged late Wednesday by town police with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon and two counts of possessing prohibited devices -- two magazines containing 20 rounds of hollow-nose bullets.

Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor, sitting in Morristown, on Friday reviewed the $100,000 bail set upon Pfitzenmayer’s arrest and maintained it at the request of Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Troiano.

The $100,000 bail is the maximum under bail guidelines for the offenses with which Pfitzenmayer is charged. There is no allegation that Pfitzenmayer threatened anyone and he has no prior criminal record.

However, Troiano repeatedly noted that authorities have strong concerns about Pfitzenmayer’s mental health and urged the judge to consider ordering that a psychological evaluation be required as a condition of posting bail.

The judge also expressed concern about Pfitzenmayer’s mental health but declined for now to order an evaluation, noting that Pfitzenmayer said his parents have hired a private attorney.

“The court cannot fathom at this time what would be legitimate business at Headquarters Plaza with two Glocks, ammunition and a bullet-proof vest,” Taylor said. The complex, which includes two towers, contains multiple offices, a movie theater, health club and an adjoining hotel.

Pfitzenmayer appeared before the judge via a closed-circuit television link between the Morris County jail and the courtroom. He spoke clearly and was calm, saying he lives with his parents in Peapack-Gladstone but used to live with a now-ex-girlfriend in Clifton. He told the judge that his parents have hired an attorney and are expected to post bail for him.

Troiano said police were called to Headquarters Plaza on Speedwell Avenue around 10 a.m. Wednesday on a report of a man acting in a “clearly suspicious” manner. Police found that Pfitzenmayer wore a bullet-proof vest and was carrying the weapons in a backpack.

The magazines of hollow-nose bullets were not in the Glock 9mm handguns, Troiano said. He said that Pfitzenmayer also carried an Asp, the brand name for an expandable baton used by police.

Without going into detail, Troiano said that Pfitzenmayer gave “inconsistent information” and “untruthful information” about his purpose in being at Headquarters Plaza, including that he operated a business at the complex.

Troiano said that Pfitzenmayer had been “expelled” from a Somerset County rescue squad and his volunteer relationship with the Far Hills-Bedminister Fire Department was “tenuous.”

“This incident is very concerning,” Troiano told the judge. “The big concern frankly, Judge, is the mental health factor.”

The judge ordered Pfitzenmayer to surrender his passport and forfeit all weapons. He is scheduled to next appear in Superior Court on Aug. 25.

Pfitzenmayer’s social media profile on Facebook says he attended Rutgers University and is president of an event planning business based in Far Hills called St. Leger Concierge that was started in 2012. Jail records also list his occupation as an event planner for St. Leger Concierge.

A woman who identified herself as Jennifer St. Leger and said she is Pfitzenmayer’s mother answered the phone at his Peapack-Gladstone address and said media accounts of her son’s arrest are erroneous.

“He was there for job-related reasons and I have no further comment,” St. Leger said.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.