BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
HOWELL — Keen observation led to an arrest and charges being lodged against a township resident on Sept. 3.
Jose Suarez, 61, was charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor after Sgt. John Storrow followed up on what he believed was suspicious behavior during a routine patrol of a shopping center parking lot.
Storrow said he was driving a marked patrol car in the Friendship Plaza parking lot at about 8:15 p.m. Storrow said that as he approached a Burger King restaurant, he noticed a car parked by itself with two people in the front seat. He said the driver appeared to be leaning over the passenger.
Storrow said he drove ahead and then turned his car and doubled back to the parked vehicle. The driver was no longer inside when he got there. Storrow said the passenger turned out to be an 11-year-old girl.
Storrow said an older man exited the Burger King while he was talking to the girl. He said that after some questioning, the man said he had been in the car when Storrow had driven by.
Storrow said he contacted Detective Eric Rice and Sgt. Andrew Kudrick and asked them to respond to the shopping center.
Storrow said that after Rice and Kudrick questioned the girl, the charges were lodged against Suarez, who resides on Route 33 and was reported to be a close family friend of the child. Storrow said the girl told Rice and Kudrick that the man had kissed her chest.
According to Storrow, the investigation and intervention by the state Division of Youth and Family Services resulted in the girl being placed in foster care.
Storrow said Suarez remains in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, on a $50,000 bail.