A 23-year-old Haledon man has been arrested and charged with luring an 11-year-old Asbury Park girl out of her home by threatening to share images of her, and then sexually assaulting her in his vehicle nearby, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Thursday, October 22, as reported by Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect, a Monmouth County local outlet carrying the prosecutor's announcement.

Source: Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect — Monmouth County Prosecutor announcement

Adolfo A. Cruz-Garcia, 23, of Haledon, is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree aggravated sexual extortion, second-degree sexual assault, and third-degree endangering, prosecutors said. Awaaz Punjab does not name or identify child victims; the girl is described only by age and city, as in the prosecutor's release.

What investigators allege

The investigation was opened earlier this month by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department. Investigators allege that on Friday, October 2, Cruz-Garcia met the girl via social media and, despite being made aware of her age, solicited photos of her in a state of undress and offered her money in exchange for sexual acts. Several hours later, he allegedly arrived at her home, threatened to share the photos with her family and friends if she did not come outside, and lured her into the rear of his vehicle, where prosecutors allege he repeatedly sexually assaulted her before dropping her back near her home.

Cruz-Garcia was arrested without incident near his home on Tuesday, October 20, and is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution pending a detention hearing tentatively scheduled for Monday, October 26. The state is filing a petition to keep him detained while the case proceeds, prosecutors said. All charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Immigration detainer

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer for Cruz-Garcia, Border Hawk reported, citing the Department of Homeland Security. DHS said Border Patrol arrested Cruz-Garcia in March 2019 after he entered the country near Hidalgo, Texas, as a juvenile, and that he was transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the time.

Source: Border Hawk — DHS statement on Cruz-Garcia