Prosecutor: Area Man Arrested, Charged with Criminal Sexual Contact in Lewdness Incident in Store

A local man has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual contact and related charges after allegedly following a stranger around a store last month, exposing himself, and touching her inappropriately, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago and Middletown Township Police Chief R. Craig Weber jointly announced on Friday.

Perry J. Mangano, 21, of Hazlet, has been charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, fourth-degree lewdness, and fourth-degree stalking stemming from the November incident.

The case background …

An investigation by the Middletown Township Police Department determined that shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, the victim, an adult female, was shopping at the At Home store on Route 35 in Middletown when Mangano first approached her. The investigation found that Mangano then exposed himself in her presence and made criminal physical contact with the victim.

A little more than a week later, at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, upon receiving information that a person matching Mangano’s description was back inside the store, police arrived on the scene and arrested him.

Mangano remains in custody pending an initial appearance tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9.

Anyone with information about Mangano’s activities is asked to contact Middletown Township Police Department Detective Janine Kennedy at 732-615-2120.

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