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Evelyn V. Alvino, 20, of Pinellas Park, FL, was charged with aggravated arson, burglary, criminal trespassing, and criminal mischief after an 18-month investigation into the fire, NJ State Police said.
On May 30, 2020, detectives began investigating a fire at the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center.
The former psychiatric hospital was closed in 2005 due to complaints about the conditions there, and it has since been abandoned, according to a report from APP.
The building sustained more than $3.5 million worth of damage and had to be demolished, authorities said.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that the building and nearby structures had been burglarized prior to the fire, police said.
Investigators say Alvino entered the center, burglarized the building, and started a fire that engulfed the entire structure.
Alvino was charged on Sept. 7, 2021, and a warrant was subsequently issued for her arrest.
Investigators learned that Alvino fled New Jersey and was staying at a home in Pinellas Park, FL.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Pinellas Park police Task Force found and arrested Alvino on Nov. 9 in Pinellas Park, state police said.
She was lodged in the Pinellas County Jail and extradited to New Jersey on Nov. 30.
The mansion was built in the early 1900s for Arthur Brisbane, a well-known newspaper editor, according to several reports.
The site where the fire occurred is restricted and trespassing is strictly prohibited.
The case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
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