LITTLE EGG HARBOR – A Little Egg Harbor Township man may be sentenced to state prison for setting fire to a home, authorities said.
Ethan Salter, 20, pled guilty to Creating a False Public Alarm in connection with an incident that occurred in Little Egg Harbor Township on December 2, 2023. Additionally, Salter pled guilty to Aggravated Arson in connection with a structure fire that also occurred in Little Egg Harbor on January 8, 2024.
At the time of his sentencing on June 13, 2025, the State will be seeking a term of three years New Jersey State Prison as to each charge. The sentences are to run concurrently.
After searching the premises, authorities determined the threat was not credible. The threat had been broadcast over the in-store handheld radios used by store employees. Salter, a former employee of the store, had stolen a radio and used it to make the threat.
Three days later, Salter was taken into custody at his home without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
On January 8, 2024, at around 3:20 a.m., a house fire occurred on National Union Boulevard and firefighters swiftly extinguished it. The ensuing inspection revealed that the cause was someone lighting combustibles on fire in the living room.
An investigation led officials to Salter and 21-year-old Thomas Lester of Tuckerton who were responsible for the fire. Both were arrested and charged on March 7, 2024. They were transported to the Ocean County Jail, where Salter presently remains lodged. Lester was released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform; the charges against Lester remain pending.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Julie Peterson who is handling the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad, New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, for their combined and cooperative efforts in connection with these investigations leading to Salter’s guilty pleas – and soon his state prison sentence.
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