Man Wanted In Violent Sexual Assault May Be Tied To Duke Island Park Attack

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A man wanted in the sexual assault of a woman in the area of Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in Middlesex County may be connected to the Duke Island Park attack in Somerset County earlier this summer, said authorities.

On Sept. 28 between 4:30 to 5 p.m., a woman was walking on a path adjacent to the canal when a man armed with a weapon approached her. He took her to another location on the Plainsboro-South Brunswick border and sexually assaulted her, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

The man is described as Hispanic, in his 40's to 50's, about 5'5"to 5'6" tall, wearing dark-colored clothing and a dark baseball cap. The man is believed to have been riding a bike.

This attack has similarities to a violent sexual assault that happened in Duke Island Park in Bridgewater Township on July 18, authorities said.

On July 18 at around 8:45 p.m. a woman was riding her bike at the Somerset County park when a man came up behind her when she stopped to use her cell phone, said Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson.

The man held a knife to her throat and asked for her money. After she handed over her money, the man sexually assaulted her in the nearby bushes and then fled the area on a bicycle towards the direction of Raritan, said Robertson.

• Read More: Woman Sexually Assaulted At Knifepoint At Duke Island Park

The woman described the man as Hispanic, about 5'4" to 5'6" tall, weighing between 151 pounds and 175 pounds with a medium to stocky build and an olive to dark skin complexion. The man was reported to be about in his 30's with short black hair wearing a black hood and dark pants, said Robertson.

A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the man responsible for the violent sexual assault of a woman at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater.

"The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office is working collaboratively on the active ongoing sexual assault investigations, along with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Bridgewater Township Police Department, the Plainsboro Police Department and the South Brunswick Police Department," said Somerset County Prosecutor's Spokesman Frank Roman.

Anyone with information of the Middlesex County attack or surveillance footage of the area is asked to contact Detective Sue Kowalski of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at 732-745-3287, Detective Patrick Miller of the Plainsboro Police Department at 609-799-2333, or Detective Dominick Delucia of the South Brunswick Police Department at 732-329-4646. Tips may also be submitted to www.middlesextips.com.

Anyone with information relating to the sexual assault in Somerset County is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Sex Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Bridgewater Township PoliceDepartment at 908-722-4111 or via the STOPit app.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers' Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

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