Man Set Fire To Six Commercial Vehicles Worth $1M On Jersey Shore: Prosecutor

A Toms River man has been arrested and charged with setting ablaze a group of commercial vehicles belonging to a local business in Wall Township, authorities said.

Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
Photo Credit: *Provided/ MCPO*

Jon Craig

11/03/2022 5:30 p.m.

Harcourt “Paul” S. Ward, 69, of Toms River, has been charged with four counts of second-degree arson in connection with a fire that was responsible for the destruction of six vehicles, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.

On Sept. 26, at 10:11 p.m., the Wall Township Police Department received a call for a fire at the 1900 block of Atlantic Avenue. Upon arrival, members of the Wall Township Police Department and Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office found six vehicles on fire.

An investigation revealed that Ward, of Ward Realty and Insurance in Point Pleasant, was the person responsible for purposely setting the vehicles ablaze, Santiago said.

The estimated value of the damage caused.by the fire was over $1 million, Santiago said.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Joshua Rios at 800-533-7443 or Wall Township Police Detective Zach Honecker at 732-449-4500.

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