A 25-year-old Red Bank woman walking home on Branch Avenue early Sunday morning was assaulted by an unknown man traveling by bicycle, borough police reported yesterday. It was the second such report in less than a week.
The woman told police that while walking home from a friends house on Maple Avenue, she was approached by a Hispanic male near the intersection of Branch and Tower Hill avenues. She said that had seen the man earlier while walking, and that he had apparently followed her.
According to police, the man approached the victim and said “El Sex o?”
The victim told assailant “no,” at which point he grabbed her about her arms. When the woman began to scream for help. the attacker placed his hand across her mouth. The woman then tried to use her cell phone to call for help, but the attacker took it from her, police said.
The victim was able to pull away from the man and ran away on foot. The attacker fled on his bicycle and was last seen heading north on Branch Avenue. The victim roused a resident who transported her back to her friends home on Maple Avenue.
Police got the call at 4:34a. A search of the area by responding units did not locate this subject.
The prior attack occurred at about 2a on Oct. 2. A 24-year-old Little Silver woman told police she was assaulted while walking along Monmouth between Broad Street and Maple Avenue. when a man stepped stepped out from an alley between two stores and said, “I’m going to bring you where you belong.”
He then grabbed the woman about the waist and groped her sexually, according to the report.
In that case, police arrested 46-year-old Raul Cruz-Flores in the White Street parking lot. Cruz-Flores was identified by the victim and subsequently charged with criminal sexual contact, police say.
The latest incident is being investigated by Det. Joey Fields. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Red Bank Police Detective Division at 732-530-2719. Information may be left anonymously at the Red Bank Police Tips Line at 732-450-9704.
