A vehicle fire and a separate blaze near a residence in South Toms River have led to serious criminal charges against a New York man, authorities said.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on March 27, 2026, Tashaun Normand, 42, of Bronx, New York, was charged with two counts of Aggravated Arson and two counts of Possession of Destructive Devices in connection with an incident that occurred on March 23, 2026.

At approximately 3:15 p.m. on March 23, officers from the South Toms River Police Department and firefighters from the Manitou Park Fire Company responded to a residence on Belmont Drive for a reported vehicle fire. Upon arrival, first responders observed flames inside a 2010 GMC Terrain, as well as a separate fire burning in a nearby grassy area. Both fires were extinguished.

During their response, officers discovered a broken glass bottle and another intact bottle containing an unknown liquid with a torn rag inserted—consistent with a Molotov cocktail.

An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, South Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that the fire originated at the front windshield of the vehicle and was intentionally set using an open flame and available combustibles.

Authorities further determined that Normand was responsible for constructing and throwing the Molotov cocktails at the vehicle and in the direction of the residence.

Normand was apprehended on March 30, 2026, in Monroe County, Tennessee, by the Tennessee Highway Patrol without incident. He is currently being held in the Monroe County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey.

Prosecutor Billhimer praised the coordinated efforts of all agencies involved in the investigation.