Drunk Man Set Union Beach Home On Fire, Stole Car, Police Say

UNION BEACH, NJ — An allegedly drunk Florida man stole a car, set fire to a home and then led Union Beach police on a wild foot chase into the marshlands this past Friday afternoon, say police in Union Beach, a small Raritan Bay waterfront community.

The incident unfolded at 3:15 p.m. this past Friday, May 10, Union Beach police report: Police responded to a fire at an unoccupied home at 126 Dock Street in Union Beach. While on scene, dispatchers received a call for a hit-and-run incident a block away from the ongoing fire.

When police got to the crash scene, they located a running, unoccupied car with significant damage belonging to Billie Garcia, 35, a Florida resident living in Union Beach. Garcia fled the scene before officers arrived.

Police say Garcia then stole another car from a home located on Front Street in Union Beach.

Officers spotted Garcia driving the stolen vehicle a short distance away. Union Beach police officers Matthew Gajewski and Ryan Fogarty tried to pull him over; however, he refused to stop.

Garcia abandoned the vehicle and fled from officers on foot into the marshland. Officers pursued him into the marshland where he was subsequently apprehended.

Police investigated the connection between the house fire and the incidents, and it was determined that Garcia damaged and set fire to the residence before attempting to flee the scene.

Garcia was charged with arson, criminal mischief, motor vehicle theft, DWI, resisting and two counts of driving while suspended due to a prior driving while intoxicated conviction, among other charges.