Prosecutor: 23-Year-Old Man Arrested on Charges of Kidnapping, Extortion, Sex Assault of 11-Year-Old Girl

A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged with luring an 11-year-old girl out of her home by threatening to disseminate partially nude images of her and then sexually assaulting her in his vehicle nearby, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Thursday.

Adolfo A. Cruz-Garcia, 23, of Haledon, has been 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 stemming from the alleged incident.

The case background …

An investigation into Cruz-Garcia’s activities was initiated earlier this month by members of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department. The incident happened in Asbury Park. The investigation ultimately revealed that on Friday, Oct. 2, he and the victim met via social media, and despite being made aware of her age, he solicited photos of her in a state of undress and offered her money in exchange for the performance of sexual acts.

Several hours later, the investigation showed, Cruz-Garcia arrived at the victim’s 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 he repeatedly sexually assaulted her before dropping her back off near her home.

Cruz-Garcia was arrested without incident near his home on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending a detention hearing tentatively scheduled to take place on Monday, Oct. 26. The state is filing a petition to keep Cruz-Garcia detained while the case against him proceeds.

Anyone with information about Cruz-Garcia’s activities is being urged to contact MCPO Detective Stephanie Regina at 732-431-7160, Ext. 8791 or Asbury Park Police Department Detective Terrence McGhee at 732-502-5781.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office