Executive Summary
- Juliette Tournier was indicted for Aggravated Arson and Eluding regarding incidents in Surf City and Ship Bottom.
- Investigators determined the Surf City fire had two separate origins and was incendiary in nature.
- One firefighter was injured and treated at a local hospital during the suppression efforts.
- Tournier allegedly fled a traffic stop in a vehicle with stolen license plates shortly before the fire.
- The defendant was released from custody following New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines.
Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by an Ocean County Grand Jury on charges of Aggravated Arson and Eluding in connection with a series of incidents that occurred on February 19, 2025, according to an announcement by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The indictment, returned on January 28, follows an investigation into a structure fire in Surf City and a police pursuit in Ship Bottom earlier the same evening.
Prosecutor Billhimer stated that emergency responders were dispatched to a structure fire on North Central Avenue in Surf City at approximately 8:40 p.m. on February 19, 2025. During suppression efforts, one firefighter sustained injuries and required treatment at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township. Authorities confirmed the firefighter was subsequently released. A comprehensive investigation involving the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and local police determined that the fire had two separate points of origin—one upstairs and one downstairs. Officials concluded the cause was incendiary, involving the use of an open flame and ignitable liquids.
Prior to the fire, at approximately 8:20 p.m., officers from the Ship Bottom Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a Honda HRV traveling westbound on Route 72. According to Ocean County officials, the driver, later identified as Tournier, initially stopped in an unsafe location. When instructed by the officer to move to a safer area over the bridge, the vehicle fled the scene. The officer terminated the pursuit for safety reasons. Investigators later discovered that the license plate on the Honda had been reported stolen from a similar vehicle in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, earlier that day.
Detectives linked Tournier to both the eluding incident and the subsequent arson in Surf City. She was charged with Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property on February 20, 2025, and later charged with Aggravated Arson on February 25, 2025. According to OCPO authorities, Tournier surrendered to the Surf City Police Department on February 26, 2025. Following her processing at the Ocean County Jail, she was released in accordance with New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines.
Legal and Procedural Developments
The indictment formally moves the proceedings to the trial phase within the Superior Court of New Jersey. The release of the defendant under New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform Act highlights the state’s shift away from monetary bail toward a risk-based system, which assesses the likelihood of a defendant returning to court and the potential danger posed to the community. As this case progresses, prosecutors will be tasked with presenting forensic evidence regarding the incendiary nature of the fire and the timeline connecting the traffic stop to the arson. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
