Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
A Horsham resident has been indicted by an Ocean County, N.J., Grand Jury in connection with a series of incidents that took place in 2025, in Surf City and Ship Bottom, according to authorities.
Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, was indicted on charges of Aggravated Arson and Eluding, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The charges stem from two separate investigations.
On Feb. 19, 2025, the Surf City Police and Fire Departments responded to a structure fire on North Central Avenue. During the fire, a firefighter sustained injuries and was treated at Southern Ocean Medical Center before being released.
Investigators determined that the fire had two points of origin, one upstairs and one downstairs, and that it was intentionally set using an open flame and ignitable liquids.
At around the same time, the Ship Bottom Police Department attempted a traffic stop on a Honda HRV traveling westbound on Route 72. The driver, later identified as Tournier, initially stopped in an unsafe location and then sped away when officers tried to conduct a safe traffic stop. A later investigation revealed that the vehicle was using a stolen license plate from Cherry Hill, and Tournier was identified as the individual who had stolen it. She was previously charged with Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Continuing investigation linked Tournier to the Surf City fires, resulting in an Aggravated Arson charge. She surrendered to Surf City Police on Feb. 26, 2025.
Tournier is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
