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On Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 8:40 p.m., the Surf City Police and Fire Departments were dispatched for a report of a structure fire on North Central Avenue, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said. A firefighter was injured while extinguishing the blaze, Billhimer said.
An investigation determined the fire was intentionally set, Billhimer said.
While investigating the fire, detectives discovered that same day, officers from the Ship Bottom Police Department attempted a motor vehicle stop on a Honda HRV that was traveling westbound on Route 72, Billhimer said. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Juliette Tournier, a Montgomery resident, pulled over and stopped at the top of a bridge, Billhimer said. The officer approached the vehicle and asked her to drive over the bridge so that a safe motor vehicle stop could be conducted, Billhimer said.
When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, it sped off and failed to pull over, Billhimer said. Earlier in the day, the license plate attached to the eluding vehicle had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill, Billhimer said.
Law enforcement also determined Tournier was responsible for setting the fires at the residence in Surf City, Billhimer said.
Tournier was charged with aggravated arson, eluding and receiving stolen property, Billhimer said. Tournier surrendered herself to the Surf City Police Department; and was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing, Billhimer said.
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