Long Branch Man Tried To Accost Three Girls Within Minutes Of Each Other: Police

A Bath Avenue man is in the Monmouth County Jail after he tried to accost three girls, ages 12 to 14, including one who was walking home from school, according to the police report.

Daniel Omar Mejia-Reyes, 27, 383 Bath Avenue, was arrested after Long Branch police received at call at 3 p.m. on Jan. 25 about a possible kidnapping near Prospect Street and Bath Avenue. While police were heading to the area, they received another call dealing with the robbery of a cell phone.

Sgt. Robert Bell immediately responded to the area and was able to detain a subject who fit the description of the accused in both incidents. Officers Gary Vecchione, Daniel Richards and Hector Umana arrived and were able to confirm that three separate incidents had occurred. One girl had just exited a school bus and another was walking home, according to the police report.

Mejia-Reyes approached the girls separately, but within a few minutes of each other. In the first two incidents, he forcibly robbed the victims of their cell phones. In the third, he picked up the young victim and attempted to remove her from the area, the report said.

The bus driver and bus aide saw the first two robberies and came to the victim’s aid, and put them back on the bus. The girl who was walking home from school tried to fight off her attacker, and was helped by another classmate, police said.

Detective Jake Pascucci became the lead investigator and he was assisted by Detective Sgt. Brendan Cahill, Romano, O’Brien, Spitale and Kennedy. They arrested Mejia-Reyes, and charged him with two counts of robbery, criminal restraint, aggravated criminal sexual contract and sexual assault. He is lodged in the Monmouth County Jail with no bail and is also being held on an immigration detainer, police said.

The quick response time and actions by both the patrol Division and the detective bureau, working together, ended in the arrest of Meija-Reyes.

"Everyone involved, including the bus aide driver and student, should be commended. If anyone has any further information please contact Detective Jake Pascucci at 732-222-1000.

Image: Patch file photo.