By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities in Monroe Township, Gloucester County, are investigating a disturbing acid attack that occurred in the Forrest Hills neighborhood on Friday, July 26. 
According to a statement released by Prosecutor Elizabeth Volgelsong-Parvin, police responded to a call after a 42-year-old woman returned home from work and was assaulted in her driveway.
As the victim opened her car door, Prosecutor Elizabeth Volgelsong-Parvin said an unknown female approached her and threw a cup containing a corrosive liquid at her.
The assailant quickly fled the scene in a silver or grey vehicle.
The victim sustained severe chemical burns on 35% of her body and was immediately airlifted to a burn center, where she remains under treatment. Investigators believe the liquid used was a highly caustic acid.
An extensive investigation led by the Monroe Township Police Department, in collaboration with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, revealed that the suspect vehicle had been rented from a Florida-based agency.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Volgelsong-Parvin said authorities discovered that 49-year-old William DiBernardino of Boynton Beach, Florida, orchestrated the attack. DiBernardino allegedly hired two individuals, 38-year-old Betty Jo Lane and 39-year-old Jmarr McNeil, both from Jacksonville, Florida, to carry out the assault on his behalf.
DiBernardino is said to have had a previous relationship with the victim.
Lane and McNeil reportedly traveled to New Jersey in the rental vehicle with the sole purpose of executing the attack.
Following their identification, Prosecutor Elizabeth Volgelsong-Parvin said authorities from Monroe Township and Gloucester County, with the assistance of law enforcement agencies in Florida, arrested the trio.
The Boynton Beach Police Department, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service supported their efforts.
Betty Jo Lane, Jmarr McNeil, and William DiBernardino have been charged with multiple serious offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, and other related charges. All three suspects are now in custody.
