New Jersey woman says boyfriend dragged her into the woods, set her on fire. 4 days later, all charges against him are dropped, and he’s out of jail

Chelsea Villano, 33, is facing criminal charges after allegedly lying to police about her boyfriend setting her on fire. The New Jersey woman reportedly claimed he dragged her into a wooded area, poured an accelerant over her, and deliberately set her alight. Her accusation led to his arrest on attempted murder and arson charges. But investigators later determined that her account of the attack was fabricated.

The case began on October 15, 2026, when emergency services received a call about a woman with serious burn injuries in a wooded area of Plumsted Township. Officers and EMTs arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m. and found Villano in distress. She was taken to Temple University Burn Center in Philadelphia for treatment, where she reportedly spent several days.

Villano told police what had supposedly happened while she was being treated. She identified her boyfriend as the person who attacked her, claiming he had set her on fire and left her in the woods. He was arrested on October 16 and charged with first-degree attempted murder and aggravated arson. He was then held at Ocean County Jail.

Police allegedly found holes in her account

Detectives began questioning her version of events as they worked through the evidence. What they found reportedly did not match her account. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office eventually concluded that Villano had knowingly given police false information about how she suffered her burns and who had caused them.

Her boyfriend was out of jail by October 19. He had spent four days in custody before the charges against him were reportedly dropped. Local media reports, including NBC Philadelphia, said investigators had established that Villano’s allegations were false.

Villano was arrested on October 23 at Eatontown Police Headquarters. She was arrested and processed into the Ocean County Corrections system — where she awaits her court hearings at a later date.

The allegations are yet to be proven in court

There is one part of the story that can get lost in the false accusation: Villano really was burned. She had serious injuries and needed treatment at a burn center. It was the story she gave police about how those injuries happened, and her claim that her boyfriend was responsible, that investigators say she made up.

Villano now faces two counts of falsely incriminating another person. The charges are allegations, and she has not been convicted. It remains to be seen which allegations can withstand judicial scrutiny.