Man Grabs, Asks For Sex From DPW Worker, Child In Bergen Co.: Cops

LITTLE FERRY, NJ — A 46-year-old man was arrested twice in Bergen County last week after he was accused on two occasions of grabbing the arm of a victim — a government employee in Maywood and a juvenile in Little Ferry — and suggesting he wanted to have sex with them, authorities said.

Jose Cardoza-Rivera, of Little Ferry, was arrested on Thursday in Maywood on multiple charges, only two days after he was arrested and charged on a similar incident in Little Ferry and then released. He is being held at the Bergen County Jail, Maywood Chief Terence R. Kenny said.

Cardoza-Rivera, charged on Thursday with simple assault, burglary and luring, was accused of yelling several times from his car at a Department of Public Works employee, stating that he wanted to have sex with him. He then, police said, parked his car, approached the worker and grabbed him by the arm, in an attempt to pull him into his car, police said.

The employee retreated inside his truck, police said, and Cardoza-Rivera pursued him, opened the truck door and climbed inside. The victim got out on the driver's side, and Cardoza-Rivera fled the scene. Police found him several blocks away, standing on a random resident's front porch, and he was identified, arrested and charged, police said.

While he was being processed, he also threw a cup of water at a police officer, and was subsequently charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, police said.

Cardoza-Rivera was just released on charges stemming from a similar incident in Little Ferry two days before, when he was accused of grabbing the arm of a child, who had who had volunteered to help him move furniture. He then, when inside his apartment, told the child, "I wanna be with you," according to Police Chief Jim Walters.

He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and harassment in connection with the incident, in which two youth baseball players who were preparing for a game, volunteered to go with him to his apartment to help him move, police said.

Cardoza-Rivera, who, police said, lives in an illegal apartment across from Lakeview Avenue, approached the coach to ask if any of his players could help him. And while they were in the bedroom of his apartment, police added, he then grabbed one of the kid's arms and said he wanted to be with him.

Both kids ran out of the house to explain to their coach what happened, and the coach related what happened to an officer on the field. Police then went to the apartment to speak with Cardoza-Rivera, and everyone involved was brought back to police headquarters for further investigation, police said.

Cardoza-Rivera now awaits a court hearing.