Man Accused Of Setting 3 Fires At Neighbor's Vacant Home In Ocean County

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — An Ocean County man is accused of setting three fires at his neighbor's vacant home in Little Egg Harbor, including one on Friday, the Ocean County Prosecutor's said Saturday.

Steven T. Johnson, 36, has been charged with three counts of aggravated arson in fires set Jan. 6, Jan. 10 and Jan. 12 at a home on Revolutionary Road, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Little Egg Harbor Police Chief James Hawkins said in a joint news release.

Little Egg Harbor police and firefighters were called to the home about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 6 for a structure fire, authorities said. After it was extinguished, the investigation found the fire originated in the living room of the house, and that it was started by someone putting a flame to an ignitable liquid, authorities said.

Police and firefighters were called to the home again about 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 10 for a shed fire, and the investigation found it again had been started by someone lighting an ignitable liquid, authorities said. The shed was not damaged from the fire, authorities said.

The third fire was reported about 1 a.m. on Friday, authorities said.

Little Egg Harbor police were conducting surveillance at the property when they saw a man, later identified as Johnson — the next-door neighbor — hop the fence of the property and pour a liquid on the attached deck of the house. Johnson then lit an item on fire and dropped the burning item on the deck, authorities said. Johnson then went back to his home, they said.

Officers quickly extinguished the fire then went to Johnson's home and arrested him, Billhimer said.

Investigators determined Johnson was responsible for all three fires at the Revolutionary Road home, authorities said.

He is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office K-9 Unit collaborated in the investigation.