Bronx man charged after Molotov cocktail attack on vehicle, home in Ocean County
SOUTH TOMS RIVER, N.J. – A New York man is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he used Molotov cocktails to ignite fires targeting a vehicle and a residential property in Ocean County earlier this month.
Tashaun Normand, 42, of the Bronx, was charged March 27 with two counts of aggravated arson and two counts of possession of a destructive device in connection with the March 23 incident on Belmont Drive, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 3:15 p.m. to reports of a vehicle fire, where responders found flames inside a 2010 GMC Terrain as well as a separate fire burning in a nearby grassy area. Both fires were extinguished at the scene.
Evidence points to incendiary devices
Investigators said evidence recovered at the scene included a broken glass bottle and another bottle containing liquid with a torn rag inside, consistent with a Molotov cocktail.
A multi-agency investigation determined the fire originated at the vehicle’s front windshield and was intentionally set using an open flame and combustible materials. Authorities allege Normand constructed the devices and threw them at the vehicle and toward the residence.
Key Points
- Bronx man charged with aggravated arson after fires in South Toms River
- Investigators say Molotov cocktails were used to ignite vehicle and nearby area
- Suspect arrested in Tennessee and awaiting extradition to New Jersey
Arrest made out of state, extradition pending
Normand was taken into custody March 30 in Monroe County, Tennessee, by the Tennessee Highway Patrol without incident. He remains jailed there pending extradition to New Jersey.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited multiple agencies for their role in the investigation, including the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, South Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The investigation remains ongoing.
