TOMS RIVER – An Ocean County grand jury has charged a Pennsylvania woman with aggravated arson, accusing her of deliberately setting a fire in Surf City that injured a firefighter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
In addition to aggravated arson, the indictment the grand jury handed up on Jan. 28 also charges the defendant, Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, with eluding Ship Bottom police, Billhimer said.
The incidents contained in the indictment both took place on Feb. 19, 2025, according to a news release issued by Billhimer.
About 8:40 p.m. that day, Surf City police and firefighters were dispatched to a fire at a house on North Central Avenue, the release said.
During efforts to extinguish the blaze, a firefighter suffered injuries for which he was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, the news release said.
The firefighter was treated for his injuries at the medical center and subsequently released.
An investigation of the fire by the arson squad of the prosecutor’s major crimes unit, the Ocean County Sheriff’s crime scene investigation unit, Surf City police and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office revealed two separate areas of origin of the fire – one upstairs and one downstairs. Detectives determined the fires at both locations were incendiary, started by someone introducing an open flame to ignitable liquids, the news release said.
As the fire was under investigation, detectives learned that Ship Bottom police tried to stop a vehicle about 8:20 p.m. the same day on westbound Route 72. The driver of that vehicle, a Honda HRV, initially pulled over in an unsafe location and was asked to drive over the bridge and pull over in a safe area, according to the news release. When the officer attempted to safely stop the vehicle up the road, the vehicle sped off, the release said. The police officer ended the pursuit of the vehicle for safety reasons.
Subsequent investigation revealed the license plate on the fleeing vehicle had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill, according to the news release.
Tournier was identified as the person who allegedly stole that license plate, the release said. She was charged on Feb. 20, 2025, with eluding police and receiving stolen property, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
The continuing investigation revealed she set the fires at the Surf City residence, the prosecutor alleged. Police charged her with aggravated arson on Feb. 25, 2025, and she surrendered herself to Surf City police the following day.
Tournier was taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, but subsequently released under bail reform to await trial.
Senior Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Kate Burke presented the case to the grand jury.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Surf City arson leads to indictment against Pennsylvania woman