Man Broke Into Rutgers Student Apt. Twice, Sexually Assaulted 2 Women

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor, a man crawled into a Rutgers student apartment through an unlocked window Friday night and sexually assaulted a female Rutgers student sleeping inside the home.

He then returned after midnight Saturday to do the same thing, and a second young woman was sexually assaulted as she slept.

This was announced by Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and New Brunswick Police Director Anthony Caputo, along with Rutgers campus police, who said the male suspect still remains at large as of Monday morning.

The first sexual assault took place late Friday night, and the young woman did not report it to police until the same thing happened to her roommate late Saturday night, said Rutgers campus police. This was a privately owned apartment rented by college students.

The second victim chased the male suspect out of the home and called 911.

"The New Brunswick Police Department is investigating two separate criminal sexual acts that occurred during consecutive days, within the same Central Avenue residence," said Rutgers Police Chief Kenneth Cop in a statement on Facebook. "The preliminary investigation suggests an unknown male entered the residence through an unlocked window during both encounters and proceeded to engage in sexual crimes against victims who were asleep therein. The first incident was reported to police after the second incident was reported."

Here is what police say happened:

At approximately 3 a.m. Saturday the first young woman told police she was sleeping in her room when she woke up to being touched by an unknown man.

The next night, between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. Sunday, a second victim, also a student at Rutgers University, was awoken by a man sexually assaulting her. She chased the man out of the apartment and he fled on foot in an unknown direction.

Both young women sustained non-life-threatening injuries, which were not described by police.

Police refused to give any more information on these crimes, citing the ongoing investigation.

While the first young woman was unable to give a description of the suspect, the second woman described him as a five-foot-eight man with brown skin, who was wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt at the time of the assault.

Police did not say whether they think the same man is behind both attacks, or if they are looking for two different men.

Anyone with information or surveillance footage is asked to contact Detective Alex Flores of the New Brunswick Police Department at 732-745-5217, ext. 6030, Detective Ivis Coghan of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit at 732 745-3711 or Lieutenant Melvin Breton of the Rutgers University Police Department at 848-932-8025.