FL Trio Faces Attempted Murder Charges After Woman Burned With Acid

MONROE TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Florida man paid two people to carry out was a failed murder attempt in which a woman suffered severe chemical burns in an apparent acid attack outside her home, New Jersey prosecutors said.

Three Florida residents face charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, for the July 26 incident outside the Monroe Township, New Jersey, woman's home, authorities said. One of the suspects, William DiBernardino, had a prior relationship with the victim, according to the Gloucester County (New Jersey) Prosecutor's Office.

Just before the attack, the victim returned home from work and parked in her driveway at the Forest Hills development. As she opened her car door, an unknown woman approached the victim and threw a cup of liquid at her, the GCPO said. The unknown assailant then fled the area in a silver/gray vehicle, according to law enforcement.

The victim suffered chemical burns on 35 percent of her body, authorities said. She was airlifted to a burn center, where she is still undergoing treatment as of Tuesday.

Authorities believe the liquid was a highly caustic acid.

Investigators later identified the suspect vehicle, which was registered to and rented from a Florida rental agency, the GCPO said. They determined that DiBernardino recruited and paid Betty Jo Lane and Jmarr McNeil to carry out the attack.

Lane and McNeil traveled in the rental vehicle to New Jersey for that reason, the GCPO said.

DiBernardino, 49, of Boynton Beach; Lane, 38, of Jacksonville; and McNeil, 39, of Jacksonville, were arrested in Florida and charged with the following:

• conspiracy to commit murder (first-degree)
• attempted murder (first-degree)
• aggravated assault (second-degree)
• possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (third-degree)
• stalking (fourth-degree)

The suspects waived extradition and will be brought to New Jersey.

Monroe police and the GCPO led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement agencies from the local to federal levels in New Jersey and Florida, along with forensic labs.

"This exhaustive, complex and far-reaching investigation has been and continues to be a total team effort," prosecutors said in a statement.