What to Know
- NJ man who allegedly grabbed a girl walking to school in 2016 and sexually assaulted her before a good Samaritan intervened found guilty
- Jair Ramirez, 43, was convicted on charges of sexual assault, luring, endangering the welfare of a child, and lewedness
- Ramirez's sentencing is tentatively scheduled for March; He faces up up to 10 years in state prison
A New Jersey man who allegedly exposed himself, grabbed a girl walking to school in 2016 and attempted to lure her before a good Samaritan intervened was found guilty, prosecutors announced Monday.
Jair Ramirez, 43, was convicted on charges of second-degree sexual assault, second-degree luring, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree lewdness, acting Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan said.
Union County Assistant Prosecutor and Special Victims Unit Supervisor Caroline Lawlor, who prosecuted the case, says that shortly before 8 a.m. Sept. 30, 2016, the then-10-year-old victim was walking to school on the 200 block of Orchard Street in Elizabeth when Ramirez approached her with his pants unzipped and genitals exposed.
Ramirez allegedly proceeded to grab the victim and started dragging her between two houses when a resident of the neighborhood, an Elizabeth Public Schools Spanish teacher, noticed what was going on and started yelling loudly in an attempt to dissuade him and alert others to what was going on, Lawlor said.
Prosecutors say that Ramirez stopped what he was doing, threatened the woman, and then ran away. An Elizabeth Police Department investigation that also involved the Special Victims Unit identified Ramirez as a suspect in the case, and he was arrested.
Data from a personal GPS device proving he was in the area of the crime when it occurred, prosecutors say.
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Ramirez's sentencing is tentatively scheduled for March.
He faces up up to 10 years in state prison.
Ramirez was previously wanted on charges charges of terroristic threats and weapons offense in a seperate case.
