TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Pennsylvania woman has been indicted on aggravated arson and eluding charges following a fire and related incidents in Surf City and Ship Bottom last year, authorities said.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office reported that a grand jury returned the indictment Jan. 28 against Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, for events that occurred Feb. 19, 2025.
According to investigators, Surf City police and fire officials responded around 8:40 p.m. to a structure fire on North Central Avenue. During firefighting efforts, a firefighter was injured and treated at Southern Ocean Medical Center before being released. The Ocean County Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad and partner agencies determined the fire had two points of origin and was intentionally set using flammable liquids.
Earlier that evening, Ship Bottom police attempted to stop a Honda HR-V on Route 72. The driver failed to safely pull over and fled. Investigators later learned the vehicle’s license plate had been stolen from a Honda in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and identified Tournier as the suspect.
Tournier was initially charged with eluding and receiving stolen property on Feb. 20, 2025. As the investigation linked her to the Surf City fire, an aggravated arson charge was added Feb. 25, 2025. She surrendered to Surf City police on Feb. 26 and was later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kate Burke and multiple law enforcement agencies, including Surf City, Ship Bottom, Cherry Hill, and Horsham police, as well as the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office and Sheriff’s CSI Unit, for their collaborative efforts.
Authorities noted that charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
