TOMS RIVER, NJ – A 38-year-old Berkeley Township man is facing serious charges after investigators say he intentionally set fire to the exterior of a Planet Fitness on Route 37 early Sunday morning.
According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, Joseph Mansueto was charged Monday with aggravated arson and criminal mischief following an investigation into the February 8 incident. The blaze was reported around 3:40 a.m., prompting a swift response from Toms River police and firefighters who found flames outside the southwest corner of the gym.
Emergency crews quickly extinguished the fire, which was contained to the building’s exterior and did not spread inside. No injuries were reported.
Investigators from multiple agencies, including the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad, Toms River Township Police Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Fire Marshal’s K-9 Unit, determined the fire was deliberately set using an open flame on available combustibles. Surveillance evidence and witness information ultimately led authorities to identify Mansueto as the suspect.
Suspect taken into custody in Beachwood
Mansueto was arrested Monday by Beachwood police officers and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains held pending a detention hearing. Prosecutor Billhimer credited the coordinated efforts of the responding agencies for their swift work in identifying and apprehending the suspect.
Officials have not disclosed a possible motive for the alleged arson, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Key facts:
- Fire broke out around 3:40 a.m. Sunday outside Planet Fitness on Route 37
- Investigators determined the blaze was intentionally set with an open flame
- Joseph Mansueto, 38, of Berkeley Township, was arrested and charged with aggravated arson and criminal mischief