Woman Accused of Falsely Reporting Boyfriend Set Her on Fire
Authorities say a New Jersey woman fabricated a story about her boyfriend burning her during a camping trip, leading to his arrest and her subsequent charges.
A New Jersey woman has been charged with falsely incriminating another person after allegedly fabricating a story that her boyfriend set her on fire during a camping trip, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Chelsea M. Villano, 33, of Eatontown, was found with burns and suffering from smoke inhalation on Oct. 15 after emergency responders were called to a campsite in the Pine Barrens. Villano told authorities that her boyfriend, Justin D. Martin, 36, splashed her with alcohol and then attempted to kill her by setting her on fire before fleeing the scene. She was airlifted to Temple University Burn Center for treatment.
Based on Villano's account, Martin was arrested on Oct. 16 and charged with attempted murder and aggravated arson. However, the investigation took a different turn.
Prosecutors stated that Villano's injuries were more consistent with a blowback of fire rather than an intentional act. Assistant Ocean County prosecutor Mara Brater informed a Superior Court judge that recorded statements from Villano indicated Martin was not involved in her injuries. Consequently, the charges against Martin were dismissed on Oct. 23.
Villano was subsequently arrested and now faces two counts of falsely incriminating another person. She was released from the Ocean County Jail on Oct. 28.