New Jersey man held on criminal charge of being a fugitive

It’s difficult for the police to arrest someone suspected of a crime if he either lives in another state or has fled to one. Sometimes they know where the person is located, but the mechanism of enforcing an outstanding warrant can often be a cumbersome and drawn-out process. Authorities in Ocean County recently received help from police in a neighboring state who apprehended a 24-year-old male and are holding him on a criminal charge of being a fugitive from justice in New Jersey.

The man is wanted in connection with sexual assault charges involving a claimed Aug. 2012 incident with a 15-year-old girl. Reports indicate that the arresting police were working in cooperation with the police in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Police there want the man on charges of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child.

He is now being held in a Westchester County, New York jail awaiting extradition to New Jersey. State police from the Cortlandt, New York barracks arrested the man without incident. They also reportedly searched his home after the arrest and seized evidence that they did not describe.

When someone faces a criminal charge in New Jersey but is being held in another state for extradition, he may face considerable paperwork and a relatively long wait until the extradition process is completed. That may be one reason why some individuals in that situation decide to waive extradition. However, an accused being held for extradition will likely want to become fully informed and obtain professional guidance prior to making an important decision that can potentially affect his criminal defense to the charges.

Source: lohud.com, “Crime briefs: Cortlandt man accused of N.J. sex abuse held,” Terence Corcoran, Feb. 7, 2013