Morris County Arsonist Sentenced To Prison

MINE HILL, NJ - A 46-year-old Branchburg woman is headed to jail after setting a multi-unit townhouse ablaze in March 2021, according to officials.

Shonette St. Clair was sentenced to 11 years in New Jersey State Prison by Judge Ralph E. Amirata on Aug. 11. The first six years of the sentence are subject to the parole ineligibility terms of the No Early Release Act.

St. Clair was convicted by a jury on June 7 of second-degree Aggravated Arson (two counts), second degree Attempt to Cause Widespread Injury or Damage, and disorderly persons Simple Assault. The jury found St. Clair not guilty of fourth degree Criminal Mischief.

The case stemmed from a March 8, 2021 incident when emergency first responders, including the Wharton Borough Police Department and Mine Hill Fire Department, were dispatched to a residential structure fire on Joseph Lane in Mine Hill.

Responders fighting the fire found one of the residents, who reported having escaped through a window, and transported them to the hospital for medical
treatment, including smoke inhalation.

After the fire was extinguished, investigators determined the cause of the fire to be incendiary and identified four points of origin on the exterior of the residence.

Shonette St. Clair was later identified as a suspect and subsequent investigation revealed her to have been in the area of the residence at the time of the fire, officials said.