Man Called Fake Bomb Threat At Walmart; Later Set House Ablaze In Little Egg Harbor: Cops

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — A Little Egg Harbor man pleaded guilty to creating a false public alarm and aggravated arson in two separate incidents where he called in a false bomb threat to a Walmart and set a house ablaze, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Ethan Salter, 20, faces three years in New Jersey State Prison on each charge, to run concurrently, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

It was about 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2023 when Little Egg Harbor police went to the Walmart store for the report of a bomb threat, Billhimer said. For safety, the store was evacuated. But a search of the store by the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad and Ocean County Sheriff's Office's K-9 Unit determined that the threat was not credible, Billhimer said.

The threat had been made over the in-store handheld radios the employees use, Billhimer said. Salter, a former employee of the store, had stolen a radio and used it to make the threat, Billhimer said.

Salter was taken into custody at his home on Dec. 5, 2024, and taken to Ocean County Jail, where he was released due to bail reform, Billhimer said.

On Jan. 8, 2024, at about 3:19 a.m., police and fire departments responded to a structure fire on National Union Boulevard in Little Egg Harbor, Billhimer said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and found that the fire began in the house's living room, and its cause was determined to be incendiary by an unknown person or persons utilizing an open flame to ignitable liquid, Billhimer said.

Salter and Thomas Lester, a 21-year-old from Tuckerton, were deemed responsible for the blaze, Billhimer said. They were both charged with aggravated arson and taken to Ocean County Jail. Salter remains there; Lester was released due to bail reform, and his charges remain pending.