Sex Assault Of 2 Union Co. Women In October Leads To Indictment: Prosecutors

UNION COUNTY, NJ — A Plainfield man who was charged with sexually assaulting a Westfield woman in her home, as well as a second assault on a Plainfield woman, received a 17-count indictment by a Union County grand jury, Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced Thursday.

Terrence Rhue, 23, was charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, three counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, two counts of third-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and two counts of fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon as a result of the attacks on the two separate woman.

In addition, Rhue was also charged with one count each of first-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, third-degree terroristic threats and fourth-degree criminal mischief in connection with the Westfield sexual assault.

The first assault occurred on Oct. 4, 2021 at approximately 8:40 p.m., when officers from the Plainfield Police Department were alerted that a sexual assault had occurred in the area of Randolph Road in Plainfield.

According to prosecutors, the female victim told police she had been forcibly grabbed, punched and the sexually assaulted at knifepoint in the parking lot of an apartment complex after she exited her car. The suspect then fled the scene.

Then, on Oct. 19, a woman from Westfield reported that she was sexually assaulted by an armed intruder in the area of Forest and Longfellow Avenues at approximately 12:50 p.m. that day. She told police that after returning home from being out, upon entering her house she was confronted by a man with a knife who proceeded to sexually assault her.

The man then took a number of valuables from the home before fleeing the scene, prosecutors said.

Read more: Suspect In Westfield Sex Assault, Home Invasion Caught

An investigation led by the Union County Special Victims Unit, the Plainfield Police Department
and the Westfield Police Department and assisted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center (R.O.I.C.), as well as the Scotch Plains and Fanwood Police Departments, resulted in the identification of Rhue as the suspect, leading to his eventual capture and arrest two days after the Westfield attack.

DNA evidence collected at the scene, which was processed through the Prosecutor's Office Forensic Laboratory, was used to identify Rhue as a suspect.

“We are grateful for the collaboration with the local and State law enforcement agencies who assisted our Office in quickly locating and apprehending the suspect,” Prosecutor Daniel said.

“Shocking crimes of this nature that strike at the very heart of the safety and security of our Citizens in and around their homes are intolerable and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office will spare no resource or amount of effort in helping these victims achieve justice.”

Rhue is currently being held in the Essex County Jail pending a post-indictment arraignment.

Convictions on first-degree charges can be punishable by a term of between 10 and 20 years in State Prison, according to prosecutors.