Mercer Bar Owner Charged With Sex Assault Faces Liquor License Loss

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — The state is seeking to suspend the liquor licensee of a Mercer County restauranter after he was charged with sexually assaulting employees and a job seeker.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said that the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has filed an Order to Show Cause (OTSC) as to why the liquor licenses of four Trenton establishments, owned by Gerald Araya, should not be indefinitely suspended.

Gerald Araya, 44, of Ewing, was arrested and charged in June with five counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Araya owns and operates three establishments in Trenton - El Catador Lounge Restaurant, Dubai Restaurant & Lounge, Mill Hill Restaurant & Lounge and Trenton Social.

“We have an obligation to ensure that licensed establishments are not used in the furtherance of crime, and to protect against activity in the alcoholic beverage industry that jeopardizes the public health, safety, or welfare,” Platkin said.

“The criminal conduct alleged to have occurred by the licensee directly involves the very restaurants and bars that he has been granted the privilege to serve alcoholic beverages in. Today’s action seeks to suspend those licenses to prevent any further harm or victimization at those locations.”

Interim Director Kirstin L. Krueger of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has filed an Order to Show Cause (OTSC) and has asked Araya to appear at a hearing.

All four licenses are exclusively owned by Araya.

ABC alleges that because these four licensed premises were used in furtherance or aid of the alleged criminal activity, their immediate suspension is necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

In May, a young woman contacted the Trenton police to report a sexual assault and a joint investigation with the MCPO Special Victims Unit ensued, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said.

The woman told detectives that she met Araya during a job interview at Dubai Restaurant & Lounge. Araya wanted the woman to see his other establishments in Trenton so they left Dubai and arrived at another bar in Trenton where Araya began making the woman drinks and insisting she try them so she knew what she was serving patrons, Onofri said.

The woman said she started feeling ill and told Araya she wanted to go home. The next memory the woman had was of waking up in a room naked and being sexually assaulted by Araya, according to Onofri.

Further investigation revealed that the assault took place at a motel in Lawrence Township, while the victim was physically helpless.

A joint investigation was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office, Trenton Police and Lawrence Police detectives. They identified three more victims who previously worked for Araya, Onofri said.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the prosecutor’s SVU at (609) 989-6568 or mcposvu@mercercounty.org.