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Justin Leibhauser, age 19, and Gianni Aveta, age 18, both of New Jersey, were charged following the incident that occurred Saturday, July 23, in Ocean County.
Officers began investigating after a 53-year-old woman showed up to the Beach Haven Police Department and reported that she had been struck by a firework that was thrown from a car at around 10:15 p.m.
The firework exploded and struck her in the arm and rib area causing her clothes to catch fire, she told police.
She was treated by medics for second degree burns.
Police later found a Jeep Wrangler matching the suspect description provided by the victim.
The vehicle was being driven by Liebhauser, with Aveta and three minors as passengers, according to police.
Investigators determined that Liebhauser had also been driving the Jeep with Aveta and two minors earlier in the evening and that Liebhauser had given a five-inch mortar firework to Aveta, who lit the firework and threw it out the passenger side window, striking the victim.
The two were charged with aggravated arson via summons pending an upcoming first appearance in Ocean City Superior Court.
Liebhauser is a first-year football player at Sacred Heart University in the Town of Fairfield, according to the school’s website.
Liebhauser is a resident of Randolph, New Jersey, and Aveta of Wayne, New Jersey,
The university had not publicly addressed the incident as of Friday, July 29.
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