A 21-year-old Plumsted Township man is facing arson and assault charges after investigators say he was illegally staying inside an abandoned Maple Avenue home and started a fire in the detached garage behind it, injuring a firefighter who responded to put out the flames. Matthew Waldman was taken into custody following the fire and remained jailed pending a detention hearing.
The fire broke out around 4:30 p.m. Saturday in a detached garage behind the vacant home, according to Jersey Shore Online, which reported that firefighters arrived to find the structure engulfed in flames. A female firefighter injured her hand while battling the blaze and was taken to Capital Health at Deborah in Browns Mills, where she was treated and released, the outlet reported.
Charges Stem From Alleged Squatting and Arson
Investigators allege Waldman had been staying in the abandoned residence without permission and was responsible for starting the fire in the nearby garage, per the same account. He was charged Oct. 11 with aggravated arson, arson, two counts of burglary and aggravated assault on a firefighter, the station's report states. As NBC10 Philadelphia noted, officials did not detail how the fire started beyond the allegation against Waldman, nor did they disclose the extent of the damage.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the charges were formally announced Oct. 11, as reported by app.com. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer addressed the fire, the firefighter's injury and the charges in statements shared with Daily Voice.
Multiple Agencies Involved in Investigation
The investigation drew on several agencies, including the prosecutor's arson squad, Plumsted Township police detectives, the county fire marshal's office and the sheriff's crime scene investigation unit, per the same account. Waldman was arrested without incident at Plumsted Township Police Headquarters and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he remained pending a detention hearing.
The charges against Waldman remain accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
