Crime & Safety

Man Charged In Sexual Assault At D&R Canal Park Near South Brunswick

Rogelio Calyeca Postrero was earlier charged in connection with the sexual assaults of women at Duke Island Park and Six Mile Run.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Raritan man was charged in connection with the sexual assault of a woman that occurred in the area of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park on the border of Plainsboro and South Brunswick Townships on Sept. 28, 2021.

The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon by Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, Chief Raymond Hayducka of the South Brunswick Police Department and Chief Fred Tavener of the Plainsboro Police Department.

Rogelio Calyeca Postrero, 38, was charged by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office on Aug. 5 for two separate violent sexual assaults in Bridgewater on July 18, 2021, and Franklin Township on May 16, 2022. After his arrest, authorities at MCPO and SCPO began working together to determine if Postrero was linked to the D&R Canal assault. More: Authorities Investigate New Lead In Sex Assault Near South Brunswick

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

On September 28, 2021, between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., a woman was walking on a path adjacent to the park when she was approached by a man armed with a knife, Ciccone said. The man dragged her into a wooded area, demanded money and sexually assaulted her, authorities said. More: Woman Sexually Assaulted At D&R Canal Park Near South Brunswick

After an extensive investigation by law enforcement, the man who attacked the woman was determined to be Postrero, Ciccone said.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

For the D&R Canal sexual assault, Postrero has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, first-degree robbery, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Postrero is being held in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing on Friday.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Christopher Pennisi of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3600, Detective Patrick Miller of the Plainsboro Police Department at (609) 799-2333, or Detective Dominick DeLucia of the South Brunswick Police Department at (732) 329-4000.

Tips can also be submitted to www.middlesextips.com.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.