Fugitive From North Carolina Charged In Sex Assault Of Girl, 12, In Hudson County

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A Hudson County man was arrested and charged this morning in connection with the aggravated sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in January and February, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said.

Prosecutors said Hermes Navarro-Cuevas, 26, of Union City, was arrested by members of Homeland Security Investigations at Newark Liberty airport Friday at 12:40 a.m.

The crimes occurred in January and February of this year when the victim was 12, the prosecutor's office said. They said the victim was known to the defendant. Prosecutors did not say in which town the crimes occurred.

Navarro-Cuevas was charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault by contact, and endangering the welfare of a child. After detectives found that he had an outstanding warrant from North Carolina for an armed robbery in Holly Springs, he was also charged with being a fugitive from justice.

Navarro-Cuevas was brought to the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny on Friday, pending his first court appearance. The Prosecutor’s Office has filed a detention motion that's tentatively scheduled to be heard on Wednesday.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez credited the Special Victims Unit and the Union City Police Department with the investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, the Port Authority Police Department and the Special Victims Unit with the arrest.

Anyone wishing to report a sex crime should call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special
Victims Unit (SVU) at 201-915-1234.

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