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First responders from the Lacey Township Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to the reported structure fire on Signal Street at approximately 5:50 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 3, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Upon arrival, they found the homeowner, identified as Edward Teixeira, outside the residence with severe burns.
Teixeira was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he succumbed to his injuries on Jan. 4, the prosecutor said.
A joint investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, the Lacey Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office revealed that the fire originated at the front exterior entrance on the south side of the structure.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, but investigators have not ruled out accidental causes.
Billhimer commended the efforts of the multiple agencies involved in the investigation, including the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, the Lacey Township Police Department, and the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office.
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