A fugitive wanted in connection with a violent sexual assault that took place in Rahway last autumn has been located and arrested in New York City, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Rahway Police Chief John Rodger jointly announced Monday.
Officials say Mr. Wilfredo a/k/a “Will” Jose Gonzalez, 34, of the 400 block of Hamilton Street in Rahway, is charged with first-degree armed aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, third-degree aggravated assault, and third-degree possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose.
Gonzalez was charged as the result of an investigation conducted by the Special Victims Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Rahway Police Department.
That investigation showed that the adult victim in the case met Gonzalez in New York City during the early hours of Sunday, October 13, 2019, and traveled with him to his Rahway home via train, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor and Special Victims Unit Supervisor Caroline Lawlor, who is prosecuting the case.
Shortly after the pair arrived at the defendant’s home, Gonzalez allegedly produced a knife, threatened the victim with it, and proceeded to repeatedly physically and sexually assault her, Lawlor said.
The victim ultimately managed to escape the scene and traveled to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Criminal charges were filed against Gonzalez several days after the attack. He remained at large, however, until approximately 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, when, acting on a credible tip, members of the Special Victims Unit and Rahway Police Department, assisted by members of the New York Police Department, located him hiding under a bed in a unit on the seventh floor of a Bronx apartment building.
Gonzalez remains in custody in New York City pending extradition back to New Jersey. Anyone with information about his activities is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Sofia Santos at 908-577-4256 or Rahway Police Department Detective Kevin Wronski at 732-904-3724.