By: Richard L. Smith
Image by: Jersey Shore Online
A 24-year-old Little Egg Harbor Township resident has been charged after authorities say he used a homemade incendiary device to intentionally set fire to the front porch of a township home late last week.
According to a statement released by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, John Algor Jr., 24, of Little Egg Harbor Township, was charged on July 2 with aggravated arson, possession of a destructive device, and hindering apprehension in connection with the July 1 incident.
Police and firefighters were dispatched to a residence on Oneida Lake Drive at approximately 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a structure fire.
Officials said the homeowner was able to extinguish the flames using a garden hose before emergency crews arrived.
A joint investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the Little Egg Harbor Police Department Detective Bureau, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office determined the fire originated on the northwest corner of the home’s front porch.
Investigators concluded the blaze was intentionally set using combustible material soaked in an ignitable liquid, placed inside a glass container, and ignited before being thrown at the residence.
Authorities allege the suspect arrived at the home on a motorcycle, ignited the device, threw it onto the porch, and fled the area.
The investigation led detectives to identify Algor as the suspect. When investigators went to his residence on July 2, they discovered a motorcycle matching the description used in the incident with its license plates removed and concealed beneath a tarp.
Algor was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.