FREEHOLD – A physical attack and attempted sexual assault of a jogger in a county park earlier this week is under active investigation, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Saturday.
The incident took place shortly after 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, approximately 100 feet off the Henry Hudson Trail in Marlboro Township’s Big Brook Park, not far from the Trail’s eastern terminus at Boundary Road. An investigation involving members of the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Bureau and the Marlboro Township Police Department determined that the victim, an adult female, was running in the area when she noticed a male stretching nearby.
Moments later, the man physically attacked her, causing her to fall to the ground, and brandished a knife, which he used to cause minor injuries to her arms. The man then allegedly exposed himself and attempted to sexually assault the woman, but she managed to fight him off, causing him to flee in an unknown direction.
The suspect is described as a tanned white adult male with medium-length hair, standing approximately 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 240 pounds, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants. He also reportedly had a raised scar on one ear, light facial hair, and a distinctive neck tattoo; a sketch of the suspect created Friday by the New Jersey State Police is being provided along with this press release.
This investigation remains ongoing, with MCPO personnel working with authorities in neighboring jurisdictions to determine whether this incident is in any way connected with other recent similar incidents. Anyone with information about this matter is being urged to contact MCPO Detective Joshua Rios at 1-800-533-7443.
This suspect is to be considered armed and dangerous, and anyone who believes they have encountered him is urged not to approach him and instead immediately dial 911.
