El fiscal del condado de Ocean, Bradley D.. Billhimer anunció que en febrero 25, 2025, Juliette Tournier, 29, of Montgomery, Pensilvania, was charged with Aggravated Arson in connection with an incident that occurred in Surf City on February 19, 2025. This charge is in addition to charges filed against Tournier in Ship Bottom on February 20, 2025 for Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property.
En febrero 19, 2025, aproximadamente a 8:40 pm., the Surf City Police and Fire Departments were dispatched for a report of a structure fire on North Central Avenue. During the course of fire suppression efforts, a firefighter sustained injuries; the firefighter was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, donde fue atendido por sus heridas y posteriormente puesto en libertad.
Una investigación exhaustiva y extensa realizada por la Unidad de Delitos Mayores-Escuadrón de Incendios Incendiarios de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Unidad de Investigación de la Escena del Crimen de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Ocean, Departamento de policía de Surf City, y la Oficina del Jefe de Bomberos del Condado de Ocean, revealed that there were two separate locations of origin for the fire – one upstairs and one downstairs. Detectives further determined that in both cases, the cause of the fire was incendiary by an unknown person utilizing an open flame to ignitable liquids.
While investigating the fire, Detectives discovered that on February 19, 2025, aproximadamente a 8:20 pm., Officers from the Ship Bottom Police Department attempted to effectuate a motor vehicle stop on a Honda HRV that was traveling westbound on Route 72. The driver of the vehicle pulled over and stopped at the top of a bridge. The Officer approached the vehicle and asked the driver, later identified as Tournier, to drive over the bridge so that a safe motor vehicle stop could be conducted. When the Officer attempted to effectuate the motor vehicle stop further up the road, the Honda sped off and failed to pull over. For safety reasons, the Officer terminated the pursuit. A subsequent investigation into the incident revealed that earlier in the day, the license plate attached to the eluding vehicle had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Detectives were able to identify Tournier as the individual who stole the license plate. En febrero 20, 2025, Tournier was charged with Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property. A warrant was issued for her arrest, and her name was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Continuing investigation revealed that Tournier was also the individual responsible for setting the fires at the residence in Surf City on February 19, 2025. Como tal, Tournier was charged with Aggravated Arson on February 25, 2025. En febrero 26, 2025, Tournier surrendered herself to the Surf City Police Department; she was transported to the Ocean County Jail, donde se encuentra actualmente en espera de una audiencia de detención.
Prosecutor Billhimer commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Departamento de policía de Surf City, Departamento de policía de fondo del barco, Cherry Hill Police Department, Municipio de Horsham (Pensilvania) Departamento de Policia, Philadelphia Police Department, Oficina del Jefe de Bomberos del Condado de Ocean, y la Unidad de Investigación de la Escena del Crimen de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Ocean, for their combined and cooperative efforts in connection with these investigations.
Los cargos mencionados anteriormente son meras acusaciones y se recuerda a la prensa y al público que todos los acusados se presumen inocentes a menos y hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad más allá de toda duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia..
RPC. 3.6(b)(6).