New Jersey

Arrest in Attack of Woman Hiking in NJ Park: Prosecutor

What to Know

  • A man who was accused of attacking a hiker and trying to sexually assault her has been arrested
  • The 44-year-old victim says he put a T-shirt over her head and pulled her off a hiking path in Bridgewater
  • An 18-year-old man from Plainfield was arrested and charged with criminal sexual contact, among other charges

A man accused of pulling a hiker off a New Jersey trail and trying to sexually assault her has been arrested, officials said Saturday. 

Elvin Martinez, 18, of Plainfield, was charged with criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint, criminal coercion and simple assault, Somerset County prosecutors said. 

The victim, a 44-year-old woman from Warren Township, said she was hiking in Washington Valley Park off of Miller Lane in Bridgewater on Aug. 16. 

She said a man put a T-shirt over her face and head, pulled her off the trail and tried to sexually assault her, police and prosecutors said. 

She bit her attacker to escape and ran away, officials said. Eventually, she found another hiker who called 911. 

It wasn't immediately clear whether Martinez had an attorney. 

Contact Us