New Jersey woman says boyfriend set her on fire and left her in the woods to burn. But prosecutors charge her instead

A woman from Eatontown, New Jersey, accused her boyfriend of setting her on fire while they were in the woods before he left her burning to die. However, prosecutors have instead charged the girlfriend, 33-year-old Chelsea M. Villano, with two counts of falsely incriminating another person.

The incident took place on Thursday, Oct. 15, when Plumsted Township Police Department officers and emergency medical services (EMS) responded to a 911 call of a female burn victim in a wooded area near Hawkin Road and Success Road at around 1:36 p.m., according to a press release by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. When they arrived, officers and EMS reportedly found Villano “to be in distress and suffering from burns.”

Patch reported that Villano was intubated and immediately transported to the Temple University Burn Center in Philadelphia, where she was treated for her burn injuries. She was released from the hospital after a few days.

New Jersey prosecutors drop boyfriend’s charges

During the initial investigation, Villano told investigators that her 36-year-old boyfriend, Justin Martin, and another man, whose name was not released, were with her in the woods. She then claimed that her boyfriend had attempted “to burn and kill her.”

Police located Martin in Asbury Park at around 12:15 a.m. on Oct. 16, where he was arrested without incident and taken to the Ocean County Jail. He was initially charged with attempted murder and aggravated arson before being released from police custody on Oct. 19.

Prosecutors later dropped the charges against Martin on Oct. 23 after investigators determined that Villano’s account of the incident did not support their findings as the investigation continued. This assessment was based on interviews with the healthcare providers who treated Villano, a search of Martin’s vehicle, which reportedly revealed no alcohol except for a small vodka shooter, and Villano’s own statements.

“Her injuries were more consistent with a blowback of fire,” the hospital staff told investigators, prosecutors said. “Had she actually been submerged or [had fire] blown in her face intentionally, her injuries would have been much more severe.”

Villano allegedly gave conflicting statements

According to prosecutors, Villano also shifted her accusation to the other man, telling investigators that after they got into an argument, he became angry and started hitting her until she fell to the ground. She claimed that he then poured an alcoholic drink on her before setting her on fire. However, Villano supposedly did not immediately seek help. She told investigators that she sat for a while after the alleged attack before walking two miles, eventually encountering a man who contacted 911.

Villano also claimed that the other man, not Martin, was her boyfriend. But in a third interview, she described the man as “nothing to her,” according to prosecutors. She later told investigators that she did not want Martin to get in trouble and that they had a strained relationship.

Villano’s defense team, however, argued that her conflicting statements were the result of the “trauma” she went through. “Maybe she was in a dating relationship with both,” her public defender said. “There’s no indication of a motive for why she would lie.”

Villano was reportedly released from custody at the Ocean County Jail on Oct. 28, the NY Post confirmed. As of now, Villano is awaiting her next court date.

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