2 Charged After Sex Assault At Morristown Trail: Prosecutor

Update: This article now contains information on charges, along with one of the suspect's identities.

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Two people were charged Friday in connection with a sexual assault in Morristown, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said. For the first time, law enforcement publicly identified one of the suspects in the high-profile case.

Lizandro Osorio-Mejia, 18, faces several charges, including two counts of first-degree sexual assault, for the Tuesday incident on the Traction Line Recreation Trail, according to authorities. The other suspect is a 17-year-old boy, who the prosecutor's office won't publicly identify. Both live in Morristown.

The case attracted regional attention, as law enforcement released several photos of the pair, along with a police sketch, in the past 48 hours. Authorities detained Osorio-Mejia and the boy on Thursday afternoon.

The pair approached the victim on the trail and asked her for money just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the prosecutor's office. When she didn't provide it, Osorio-Mejia pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her while the 17-year-old boy stood nearby, authorities said. Osorio-Mejia was "armed with a rock" during the sexual assault, according to the prosecutor's office.

Osorio-Mejia was charged with the following (one count each unless otherwise noted):

• two counts of aggravated sexual assault (first-degree)
• sexual assault (second-degree)
• two counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact (third-degree)
• criminal sexual contact (fourth-degree)
• robbery (first-degree)
• conspiracy to commit robbery (first-degree)
• unlawful possession of a weapon (fourth-degree)
• possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (third-degree)
• terroristic threats (third-degree)
• aggravated assault (third-degree)
• theft (fourth-degree)

The 17-year-old was charged with robbery as an accomplice (first-degree), conspiracy to commit (second-degree) and theft (fourth-degree).

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll credited the county's CrimeStoppers program for quickly offering a reward for information and New Jersey State Police for composing a sketch.

"Thank you to all our law enforcement partners at the state, county and local levels, without whom such a through and swift investigation and arrests would not have been possible," Carroll said in a statement. "I also thank the public and our local/regional media for their vigilance and helping to get the word out. It is this due diligence and communication that enables law enforcement to most effectively protect the public."

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