PA Woman Lit Surf City Home On Fire, Fled From Cops: Prosecutor

SURF CITY, NJ — A Pennsylvania woman is accused of lighting a Surf City house on fire that injured a firefighter and then fleeing from police in a car with a stolen license plate, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Montgomery County resident Juliette Tournier, 29, was charged with aggravated arson in connection with the house fire on Feb. 19, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Tournier was also charged with eluding and receiving stolen property.

The fire tore through the empty North Central Avenue home at about 8:40 p.m. on Feb. 19; one firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital where he was treated and subsequently released, Billhimer said.

Investigation found there were two separate spots the fire originated from: one upstairs and one downstairs, Billhimer said. The cause was someone lighting incendiary liquids on fire, Billhimer said.

Officers also found that on the night of the fire, at about 8:20 p.m., Ship Bottom police tried to stop a Honda HRV that was heading west on Route 72. The driver pulled over and stopped at the top of the bridge, Billhimer said. The officer approached the driver, later identified as Tournier, and asked her to driver over the bridge so the stop could be safer.

But when the officer tried to stop the Honda again further off the road, Tournier sped off, Billhimer said. The officer didn't follow for safety reasons.

Earlier that day, the license plate from the Honda had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill, Billhimer said. Tournier was identified as the suspected thief and 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 found that Tournier was also responsible for lighting the fires at the Surf City home, Billhimer said. She was charged with aggravated arson on Feb. 25 and voluntarily turned herself in on Feb. 26.

Tournier remains in Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.