By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities in Essex County have achieved a significant breakthrough by apprehending a suspect involved in a disturbing case of alleged kidnapping and Explicit assault of a young boy in Irvington Township this week.
RLS Media learned through sources close to the investigation that the arrest was executed by the U.S. Marshals Service, which intervened after the suspect allegedly tried to flee New Jersey.
The case garnered intense public interest after a video, which appeared to show an 11-year-old boy being stalked, choked, and forcibly removed from a building on the 200 block of Ellis Avenue, circulated widely on social media.
Witnesses on Ells Avenue described the suspect as a tall, muscular black male with long dreadlocks, who was seen taking the boy to an unspecified location where the alleged assault occurred.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, is leading the investigation.
Details about the suspect's capture are scarce as authorities highlight the ongoing case's sensitive nature.
Chief Fennelly declined to confirm whether the suspect is linked to another child assault believed to have occurred before the incident on Ellis Avenue.
Sources said The U.S. Marshals Service tracked the suspect, believing he was attempting to leave the state or had already left N.J.
As of Thursday morning, no official charges have been filed, though the investigation is ongoing.
Further details are being withheld to preserve the integrity of the investigative process until it is appropriate to announce an arrest and publicly disclose the suspect's identity.