Jersey City woman, 23, accused of setting street fire next to sleeping man

⚠️ Police say a Jersey City woman set a fire next to a man sleeping beneath an underpass.

➡️ Investigators say the man escaped after the woman tried to stop him from fleeing.

🔴 The 23-year-old woman faces aggravated arson, assault and other criminal charges.

JERSEY CITY — A 23-year-old city woman is accused of setting a fire next to a man sleeping on the street and then trying to keep him from escaping.

Jersey City Police responded Sunday around 2:40 p.m. to a call about a fire beneath the Tonnelle Avenue underpass.

Officers arrived as the Jersey City Fire Department was working to extinguish the fire.

Man says fire spread after woman poured liquid onto flames

Investigators say a 57-year-old man was sleeping behind a guardrail, in a confined area, when he awoke to the fire.

As he tried to stamp out the flames with his feet, he said he saw a woman pour an “unknown liquid” onto the fire, causing it to spread.

The man told police that the same woman tried to stop him from escaping and calling for help.

He was not seriously hurt by the fire, but police say he “may have been assaulted” by the woman as he tried to flee. The victim refused any medical attention on scene.

Jersey City arson arrest

Police say suspect arrested after she returned to the scene

An alert was put out for a woman matching the description and about six hours later, around 8:32 p.m., police arrested Janet Leigh Mullone, as she had turned up at the scene.

The 23-year-old Mullone, a Jersey City resident, is charged with aggravated arson, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal restraint.

“This arrest reflects the swift coordination between our police officers, firefighters, and
investigators,” Jersey City Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a written statement on Tuesday.

“Their response helped prevent further harm and ensured the suspect was taken into custody within hours.”

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