TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that 34-year-old Constance Koeper of Elmsford, New York, has been charged with third-degree arson following a fire at the Avon Hotel in Toms River on January 28, 2026.
Police and firefighters responded to the hotel around 11:23 p.m. after a fire alarm activation. Upon arrival, crews found a smoke condition inside the building. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad, Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau and Fire Prevention Bureau, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined the fire originated in a room in the southeast corner of the hotel and was intentionally set using an open flame and available combustibles.
Detectives later identified Koeper as the person responsible for setting the fire. She was charged with one count of arson.
Prosecutor Billhimer commended the coordinated work of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Arson Squad, Toms River Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit for their efforts in the case.