Toms River Man Charged With Assault On School Employee

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River man has been charged with aggravated assault after he grabbed a woman who was working during an evening event at Walnut Street Elementary School, police said Saturday.

Daron Griffin, 21, was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated assault and criminal trespass, said Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department. The event was for an outside organization that rented space at the school.

The woman, who is a school district employee, was working on the second floor of the school about 6 p.m. Thursday when the man, later identified as Griffin, confronted her, Messina said.

The victim did not know Griffin, but said he asked to use the bathroom. When she told him the downstairs bathroom was open for use, the man grabbed her by the arm and pulled the victim into the hallway. The woman broke free and ran down the stairs with the man following her. He ran out of the school through a side door, Messina said.

The man was identified as Griffin through security camera footage, she said, and arrested Friday. He received a summons and was released under New Jersey bail reform guidelines, Messina said.

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