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A romantic camping getaway in the New Jersey woods allegedly turned into a nightmare when a Bergen County man burned his girlfriend and abandoned her in the wilderness, authorities say.
Justin D. Martin, 36, of Saddle Brook, faces attempted murder and aggravated arson charges following the horrifying Oct. 15 attack in the Colliers Mills area of Plumsted township.
According to court documents, the badly injured woman managed to find a worker in the woods and desperately begged him to call 911.
The call came at 1:36 pm.
She told the worker her boyfriend had tried to kill her and burn her before fleeing in a Chrysler 200, according to the court reports.
Emergency crews found the woman conscious but suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
She was intubated and flown to Temple University Burn Center in Philadelphia, where she was later reported in stable condition.
Investigators say the victim’s mother told detectives Martin had previously been verbally abusive and thrown objects at her daughter and even abandoned her at Freehold Raceway Mall, according to Patch.com.
During the prior incident, a stranger reportedly helped the stranded woman arrange a trip to her mother’s home.
On the morning of the alleged camping attack, the woman stopped at her mother’s home around 9 a.m. to collect camping supplies.
She never revealed where she was headed.
Hours later, Martin allegedly called the girl’s mother, claiming he and her daughter had argued and he had left the campsite, according to court papers.
Soon afterward, the mother received a devastating call from emergency responders saying her daughter was seriously injured.
Investigators tracked Martin’s Chrysler to Asbury Park, where they found the vehicle covered in evidence of sandy terrain, according to Patch.com
Police later located Martin with another man and a woman inside the vehicle.
The second man claimed he had been sleeping in the back seat all day and knew nothing about the attack. Detectives ended his interview, citing a lack of cooperation.
Martin declined to speak with investigators and requested and attorney.
He was arrested Oct. 16 and, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Bilheimer, is being held in Toms River at the Ocean County Jail.
The victim is in stable condition, said Bilheimer, and the investigation is ongoing.
Jersey’s sprawling Pine Barrens is the home of the mythical creature, the Jersey Devil.