An 18-year-old Hightstown man has been arrested and charged in connection with two assaults on women in the borough, including the alleged sexual assault of a 34-year-old woman earlier this month, authorities said Thursday.
Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey and Hightstown Police Chief Frank Gendron said an investigation by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Hightstown Police Department resulted in the arrest of Christian Arevalo.
A 34-year-old woman told police she was walking near Park Way and Rogers Avenue at approximately 8 p.m. Sept. 11 when she was approached from behind by an unknown man and physically and sexually assaulted, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Investigators identified Arevalo as a suspect.
Arevalo is charged in that case with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of third-degree aggravated assault and one count of third-degree criminal restraint. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion seeking to detain him pending trial.
During the investigation, authorities identified an earlier incident with what prosecutors described as a similar pattern.
An adult Hightstown woman told police that at approximately 9:40 p.m. Aug. 12, while she was on North Main Street, she was approached by an unknown man who touched her inappropriately. The man fled after the woman yelled, authorities said.
In connection with the August incident, Arevalo is charged with one count of third-degree criminal restraint, one count of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and two petty disorderly persons offenses — harassment by unlawful touching and criminal trespassing.
Authorities publicly released two surveillance videos Sept. 22 in an effort to identify the suspect. Detectives subsequently received several anonymous tips that helped investigators identify Arevalo, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Arevalo was arrested and charged Sept. 23 at the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Marbrey thanked members of the public who provided information that authorities said directly contributed to Arevalo’s identification and arrest.
“This arrest demonstrates the importance of community cooperation,” Marbrey said. “You may think the information you have to offer is insignificant, but sometimes it is enough to give investigators the piece they need to solve the puzzle.”
Marbrey also thanked the Hightstown and East Windsor police departments and praised members of the prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit, particularly Detectives Natalie Martinez and Michael Wherley and Sgt. Sherika Salmon.
“Over the last week and a half, detectives conducted an extensive and methodical review of surveillance footage obtained from multiple locations throughout Hightstown and East Windsor,” Marbrey said. “They worked around the clock, demonstrating persistence, attention to detail, and investigative tenacity throughout the case, which ultimately led to the identification and apprehension of the suspect.”
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information or who believes they may have had a similar encounter is asked to contact Salmon at 609-960-3119 or Martinez at 609-331-4318. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office website.
The charges are accusations. Arevalo is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
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