Story by Ethan
On August 27th, 2026, the arrest of John Schweininger, age 54, was announced by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, Hawthorne Police Chief James W. Knepper, and Haledon Police Chief Angelo J. Daniele. John Schweininger was charged with first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault, second-degree Sexual Assault, and third-degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact. The arrest and charges against John Schweininger were a result of an investigation handled by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Hawthorne Police Department, and Haledon Police Department.
According to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, at approximately 11:11 p.m. on August 22nd, 2026, the Hawthorne Police Department was notified of John Schweininger engaging in non-consensual sexual acts against an 80-year-old female victim suffering form infirmaries that left her physically defenseless. The victim was confirmed to be a member of the defendant’s household. An investigation was launched after the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit was notified of the incident which led to a warrant for John Schweininger’s arrest being issued. At approximately 1:30 p.m. on August 24th, 2026, the defendant was located and arrested by members of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Haledon Police Department in the area of Mountain Avenue and Lewis Street in Haledon, New Jersey.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against John Schweininger are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
