On Saturday, July 16, 2016, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the Tenafly Police Department received a report of an attempted sexual assault of a 16-year-old juvenile female that occurred in Tenafly, NJ. The Tenafly Police Department, in turn, contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit on-call detective and a joint investigation ensued.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Tenafly Police Department subsequently conducted victim and witness interviews, as well as took additional investigative steps. Among other facts, the investigation has revealed the following: the victim was a passenger on New Jersey Transit Bus 166T shortly before the incident; the male suspect boarded the bus sometime after her; the suspect attempted to speak to the victim, but she ignored his advances; the victim ultimately exited the bus on Westervelt Avenue in Tenafly; immediately after exiting the bus, the victim noticed that the suspect was following her; as the victim walked on Westervelt Avenue, the suspect physically attacked her from behind and attempted to sexually assault her; and, the suspect fled the area on foot shortly after attempting to sexually assault the victim.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 25-30 years old, with a light beard, and standing between 5’8” and 6’0” tall. The suspect has a muscular build and is estimated to weigh approximately 200 lbs. At the time of the attack, the suspect was wearing a baseball hat with a rounded brim, a tight teal/blue shirt, and light colored shorts. The suspect spoke English with a Hispanic accent. A sketch of the suspect is included with this press release.
While this appears to be an isolated incident, the Tenafly Police Department has directed police patrols along major bus routes within its borough since the incident. Anyone with more information about this incident is urged to contact Detective Michael Vecchiarelli of the Tenafly Police Department at 201-568-5100 or Detective Dennis Conway of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 201-226-5785.
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