By Sue Epstein and Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger

MONROE — Boanerges Bezerra awoke early Saturday morning in his Monroe Township home to "flashing lights and a bang," he said.

When Bezerra jumped out of bed about 4:45 a.m., the 58-year-old saw thick smoke billowing out of his teenage daughter’s bedroom. He rushed to get his wife and three children out of the house while a smoke detector blared.

"We went out the garage, and then all of a sudden a pipe bomb came and almost landed on the police officer’s car that had just arrived," Bezerra said.

The Bezerra family’s home was under attack, police say, by three neighbors who snuck onto their property under cover of darkness and fired explosives at the home, setting the attic and a second-floor bedroom ablaze.

Though it is unclear what motivated the attack, a spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said the three men targeted the Bezerra family, who live in a quiet, tidy neighborhood of large homes near Forsgate Country Club.

"There was a dispute and this family was targeted by these individuals," said Jim O’Neill, public information officer for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office. He declined to offer additional details about the dispute or the type of explosives.

The three township men — Matthew Debski, 17, and brothers Michael and Jonathan Cavallo, ages 22 and 18 — were arrested and charged with 21 criminal offenses, including arson, aggravated assault and trespassing. The Cavallos' property is near the home they are charged with attacking.

Bezerra said the three were known to play with fireworks near train tracks that run next to the neighborhood, but he was not aware of a dispute between his family and Debski or the Cavallo brothers.

"They just loved to play with fireworks, but this was the first time they aimed for our house," said Bezerra, whose family was able to stay in the home in spite of the smoke and fire damage.

Debski and the Cavallo brothers are being held at a county correctional facility with bail set at $150,000 for each defendant, O’Neill said. Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact the Monroe Police Department at (732) 521-0222.

Previous coverage:

• Monroe men charged with firing explosives at neighbor's house, setting it on fire