Man Cleared Of Accusations He Burned Girlfriend, Left Her To Die In Ocean County Woods

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A man accused of burning his girlfriend and leaving her in the woods of the Pinelands to die has been cleared of the charges, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

Instead, Chelsea M. Villano, 33, of Eatontown, has been charged with two counts of falsely incriminating another person in connection with an incident that happened in Plumsted on Oct. 15, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

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Plumsted Township police and emergency medical services were called to the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management area, near Hawkin Road and Success Road, at 1:36 p.m. on Oct. 15 when a caller reported a woman — now identified as Villano — suffering from burns and in distress.

Villano was intubated and flown to the Temple University Burn Center in Philadelphia, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the arrest of her boyfriend, Justin D. Martin, 36, of Saddle Brook.

Martin was arrested in the early hours of Oct. 16 following the preliminary investigation, which included Villano telling both the man who called 911 and law enforcement that Martin had tried to kill her and burned her.

Martin was released from the Ocean County Jail on Oct. 19, the prosecutor's office said.

Villano was treated at the burn center and days later, released, the prosecutor's office said.

"Further investigation has revealed that Villano provided false information to law enforcement about how she sustained her injuries and who caused her injuries," the prosecutor's office said. Prosecutors did not elaborate. Patch has requested the probable cause affidavit in Villano's arrest.

Villano was arrested Friday in Eatontown and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where she is being held pending a detention hearing.

Previous reporting:

NJ Man Burns Woman, Strands Her In The Woods, Authorities Say

Camping Trip Argument Ends With NJ Man Torching Girlfriend, Leaving Her For Dead, Affidavit Says