Horsham Woman Charged With Setting Surf City Fire & Eluding Police Officers
Friday, February 6, 2025, 6:45 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
TOMS RIVER, NJ.- Last Wednesday, a 30-year-old Horsham, Pennsylvania, woman was formally indicted by a Grand Jury on charges in connection with incidents that occurred in Surf City, New Jersey, and Ship Bottom, New Jersey on February 19, 2025.
According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, on Wednesday, February 28, 2026, an Ocean County, New Jersey, Grand Jury returned an indictment against Juliette Tournier, 30, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, charging her with one count of Aggravated Arson; and Eluding Law Enforcement.
According to the charging information unsealed in the indictment, on February 19, 2025, at around 8:40 p.m., members of the Surf City Police Department and the Fire Departments responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting a fire at a structure located on North Central Avenue in Surf City. While extinguishing the fire, a Firefighter sustained injuries and was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center, where he was treated and subsequently released.
During the ensuing investigation, Investigators of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Surf City Police Department, and Ocean County Fire Officials determined that there were two points where the fire originated upstairs and downstairs of the residence, and the cause was by an unknown individual who intentionally set the fire.
While investigating the fire, Detectives and Investigators learned that on the same night, shortly around 8:20 p.m., members of the Ship Bottom Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Honda HRV that was traveling Westbound on Route 72 in Ship Bottom. The driver of the Honda initially pulled over in an area deemed unsafe for a traffic stop.
   The Police Officer approached the Honda and asked the driver, later identified as Tournier, to drive off the bridge and stop so the motor vehicle stop could be conducted in a safe area. When the Police Officer again attempted to conduct the traffic stop, the Honda HRV sped off and failed to stop. During a pursuit, the Police Officer terminated the chase due to safety conditions. A subsequent investigation into the incident uncovered that earlier that day, the license plates attached to Tournier’s vehicle had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Detectives were able to identify Tournier as the individual who stole the license plates. On February 20, 2025, Tournier was charged by criminal complaint with Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
During further investigation, Detectives and Investigators determined that Tournier was also the individual responsible for setting the fires at the residence in Surf City, New Jersey, on February 19, 2025. Accordingly, on February 25, 2025, Tournier was charged by criminal complaint with one count of Aggravated Arson. On February 26, 2025, Tournier surrendered to the Surf City Police Department, where she was processed on charges for both incidents and remanded to the Ocean County Jail, where she was later released pending future court proceedings.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
