TOMS RIVER — An Ocean County grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania woman on aggravated arson and eluding charges stemming from a house fire and a police pursuit on Long Beach Island last year, prosecutors announced.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, was indicted Jan. 28 on charges tied to incidents in Surf City and Ship Bottom on Feb. 19, 2025.
Authorities said Surf City police and firefighters were called to a structure fire on North Central Avenue around 8:40 p.m. During firefighting operations, a firefighter was injured and taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, where the individual was treated and later released.
Investigators later determined the fire had been intentionally set, identifying two separate points of origin inside the residence — one upstairs and one downstairs. Officials said both fires were ignited using open flames and ignitable liquids.
While the fire investigation was underway, police in Ship Bottom attempted to stop a Honda HR-V traveling westbound on Route 72 at about 8:20 p.m., authorities said. The driver initially pulled over in an unsafe location and was instructed to continue over the bridge to allow for a safer stop. Police said the vehicle then fled, prompting officers to end the pursuit for safety reasons.
A follow-up investigation revealed the vehicle was displaying a stolen license plate taken earlier that day from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill. Detectives identified Tournier as the person who stole the plate, prosecutors said.
Tournier was charged on Feb. 20, 2025, with eluding and receiving stolen property, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Her information was entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Authorities later concluded Tournier was also responsible for setting the Surf City fire. She was charged with aggravated arson on Feb. 25, 2025, and surrendered to Surf City police the following day. She was briefly held at the Ocean County Jail before being released under New Jersey’s bail reform law.
Billhimer credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kate Burke for presenting the case to the grand jury and praised multiple law enforcement agencies for their cooperation in the investigation.
