FREEHOLD, NJ — A Freehold Borough man has been sentenced to time in prison in connection with a 2023 attempted sexual assault and robbery in Manalapan, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said.
Anthony Burke, 48, was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on Monday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon, J.S.C.
The sentence is subject to the provisions of New Jersey's No Early Release Act (NERA), which mandates that 85 percent be served prior to the possibility of parole.
Burke was found guilty in February of first-degree attempted aggravated sexual assault, first-degree armed robbery, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, Santiago said.
Because Burke was found to be a repeat violent offender by the jury (based on prior violent convictions), he faced a mandatory term of 20 years to life in a New Jersey state prison.
Burke's sentencing comes after an incident on Aug. 14, 2023, when Manalapan police officers responded to Thompson Grove Park around 10 p.m. for a report of an armed robbery.
An investigation revealed that the perpetrator forced his way into the 19-year-old victim's car, robbing and trying to sexually assault her at gunpoint, Santiago said.
After her phone, keys, and cash were taken from her, the victim managed to free herself and flee to a nearby home for help.
An investigation involving witness statements, a composite sketch of the perpetrator, law enforcement surveillance, cellular telephone analysis, digital forensic analysis, and vehicle location analysis ultimately worked to identify Burke as the suspect.
Investigation into the incident was led by the Manalapan Township Police Department, along with members of the MCPO's Major Crimes, Special Victims and High Tech Bureaus, with critical investigative collaboration from the Freehold Township Police Department, the Freehold Borough Police Department, the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office, and the NJ State Police Forensic Imaging Unit.
The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin J. Sidley of the Major Crimes Bureau.
Burke was represented by Michael A. Policastro, Esq., of Milltown.
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