Police are looking for the intruder who broke into a New Jersey home and sexually assaulted two people inside before the homeowner ran him out.
Police say a thin man wearing blue jeans and a hoodie sneaked into a home on Washington Avenue in Cliffside Park just before 6 a.m. Tuesday and sexually assaulted the victims before the homeowner interrupted him, began screaming and called 911.
The homeowner chased the intruder out of the house, but a passing motorist who had heard the homeowner scream followed the intruder as he ran down the street.
The motorist followed the intruder until he ran into a backyard on the corner of Grove and Lincoln avenues.
Police said just before the sexual assault, there had been several break-ins at other houses down the block. Officers went door to door Thursday night urging residents to check their locks. The news created uneasiness among neighbors in the one-square mile borough of 23,000.
"It's very unsettling," said area resident Bob Stahl. "It's all nerve-wracking. It's a quiet neighborhood, usually."
Longtime homeowner Sal Calderaro said his family was taking extra precautions Thursday night, reinforcing their sliding patio door and turning on extra lights outside to feel more secure.
"You're safe, but you never feel safe," said Calderaro. "It comes down to that."
The suspect is described as being between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall.
The two victims who were sexually assaulted were treated and released.
Police ask anyone with information to call the Cliffside Park Police Department at (201) 945-3600 or the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office at (201) 226-5620.
