TOMS RIVER — A New York woman has been charged with arson in connection with a late-night hotel fire in Toms River, authorities said.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Constance Koeper, 34, of Elmsford, New York, was charged with third-degree arson following an incident at the Avon Hotel on January 28.
Police and firefighters were dispatched to the hotel around 11:23 p.m. after a fire alarm sounded. When first responders arrived, they found smoke inside the building, prompting an investigation into the source of the fire.
Investigators later determined the blaze originated inside a room in the building’s southeast corner. Officials said the fire was intentionally set using an open flame and available combustible materials.
A joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit Arson Squad, the Toms River Police Department’s Detective Bureau and Fire Prevention Bureau, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit led authorities to identify Koeper as the person responsible, according to prosecutors.
Billhimer praised the coordinated efforts of the agencies involved in the investigation.
As with all criminal matters, the charge is an accusation, and Koeper is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
