Former Mayor And Cop Indicted For Sex Assault Of Bergen County Boy: Prosecutor

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A former Dumont mayor and Jersey City police sergeant has been indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a boy in November, prosecutors said Friday.

The indictment, handed up on Thursday, charges Andrew LaBruno, 44, with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and third-degree endangering a child, prosecutors said.

Two new counts of official misconduct were added since LaBruno's arrest back in November.

In November, prosecutors arrested LaBruno in connection with a sexual assault in Englewood.

At the time, prosecutors alleged that LaBruno — a Jersey City police sergeant and former political candidate — had met the victim on a social media app, then went to his home in Englewood while the minor was alone.

When LaBruno was inside the victim's home, according to a police complaint, he sprayed a substance onto his own hand. According to the complaint, LaBruno put his hand over the child's mouth and nose, which made the victim "dizzy" and "incapacitated."

Then, LaBruno forced the victim to perform oral sex on him, the complaint said.

Police later recovered a controlled dangerous substance in connection with the incident, the report shows.

At some point, the Englewood police received a 911 call about the assault. The child was taken to a medical facility to be treated, the complaint says.

LaBruno was brought to the Bergen County jail.

Indictment Unsealed

On Friday, prosecutors announced several details from LaBruno's unsealed indictment.

In addition to the assault charges, LaBruno was charged with two counts of second-degree official misconduct.

Prosecutors said in a release on Friday, "As the investigation continued, it was subsequently determined that Andrew LaBruno identified himself as a police officer during the incident for the purpose of hindering his own apprehension."

LaBruno remains in the Bergen County jail.

Ran For Office

LaBruno ran as a Democrat for 39th District Assembly last year and narrowly lost in early November.

He was suspended from the Jersey City police force after they got word of the arrest, said Jersey City's public safety spokesperson at the time.

LaBruno had lived in Dumont with his wife and kids, according to his candidate biography.

PRIOR REPORTING: NJ Cop, Former Bergen County Mayor Sexually Assaulted Child He Met Online, Officials Say