Crime & Safety
6 Vehicles Set On Fire By Toms River Man, Prosecutor Says
Harcourt "Paul" S. Ward, who owns Ward Realty and Insurance in Point Pleasant Beach, has been charged with arson in the Wall Township fire.
FREEHOLD, NJ — A Toms River man has been arrested and charged with setting ablaze a group of commercial vehicles belonging to a Wall Township business, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday.
Harcourt "Paul" S. Ward, 69, who owns Ward Realty and Insurance in Point Pleasant Beach, has been charged with four counts of second-degree arson in a Sept. 26 fire that destroyed six vehicles, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said.
The fire caused more than $1 million in damage, Santiago said.
Find out what's happening in Toms Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The fire was reported at 10:11 p.m. on Sept. 26 on the 1900 block of Atlantic Avenue, he said. Wall police and the Monmouth County Fire Marshal's Office found the six vehicles on fire.
Santiago said the investigation revealed that Ward had purposely set the vehicles on fire.
Find out what's happening in Toms Riverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Joshua Rios at 800-533-7443 or Wall Township Police Detective Zach Honecker at 732-449-4500.
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