Upper Saddle River Gas Station Attendant Accused of Groping Female Customer
Police recently arrested an Upper Saddle River gas station attendant who allegedly committed a sex crime when he reached up a female customer’s skirt.
The criminal incident occurred at a gas station located in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. According to law enforcement, the victim had gone to the gas station in order to purchase fuel for her motor vehicle. The suspect, who works at the gas station, reportedly convinced the woman to also get air in her tires.
When the victim moved her vehicle to a different area in the parking lot, the suspect reportedly asked her to get out of the car. She then exited the vehicle, bent over, and began to put air into one of the tires on the vehicle. That’s when the suspect allegedly reached under the woman’s skirt and touched her in private areas.
The victim dialed 911 and alerted the Upper Saddle River Police Department, which dispatched officers to the scene. The suspect was arrested a short time later.
The suspect, a 32-year-old man from Spring Valley, New York, has been charged with criminal sexual contact. Criminal sexual contact is typically the charge when prosecutors are unable to prove all of the elements of aggravated sexual assault or sexual assault. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3, criminal sexual contact is a fourth degree felony that carries a potential punishment of 18 months in NJ State Prison.
Additionally, a conviction for criminal sexual contact could result in the suspect being required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
After being placed under arrest and charged, the suspect was taken to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was being held at the correctional facility in lieu of $25,000 bail, with no 10-percent cash option available for posting bail.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Anyone who has information about the suspect or the alleged sexual offense should contact Upper Saddle River detectives at 201-327-2700.
For further information about this case, go to the NJ.com article, “Gas Station Attendant Charged with Groping Customer.”
