HOWELL – Police in Howell have arrested a 62-year-old male resident of Whiting, Ocean County, and charged him with eight counts of harassment following his alleged actions in three local stores.
The man’s May 9 arrest came after he allegedly followed women and their daughters around stores in Howell while purposely making sexually explicit and vulgar comments in their presence.
The man who was arrested is a Tier 3 registered sex offender, according to the New Jersey State Police Sex Offender Internet Registry. Police said he was charged with one count of harassment per victim. The counts are fourth degree crimes due to the man’s status as a parolee, according to a press release.
On May 4, police officers responded to a Target department store in Howell where a mother and her 12-year-old daughter reported being followed around the store.
At one point, the man later identified as the resident of Whiting followed the 12-year-old girl around the children’s swimsuit section. While the girl was being followed, the man was making sexually explicit comments as he pretended to speak to someone on his cell phone earpiece. The girl notified her mother and they contacted security, however, the man had already left the store, according to police.
After learning of the incident at Target through social media, a second woman reported a similar incident occurring at the TJMaxx department store in an adjoining shopping plaza, also on May 4. That woman was accompanied by her 11-year-old daughter who heard a man making sexually explicit and vulgar comments in the same manner previously reported, according to police.
Two more incidents occurred on May 7 at Walmart and Target in Howell. In those cases,
two women and their 12-year-old and 8-year-old daughters, who were at separate locations and are unknown to each other, were followed in the stores while a man engaged in similar conduct previously reported, according to police.
The Howell Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office are
working together to locate individuals who have not reported similar incidents to police. Individuals may contact Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez at [email protected], Detective Janet Benitez at [email protected] or by calling police at 732-938-4111.
Individuals who feel the need to remain anonymous, but who may have information
relevant to this investigation may contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers’ confidential
telephone tip-line by calling 1-800-671-4400.