According to police, on October 19, around 3:15 p.m., the Montclair Police Department responded to a Hillside Avenue apartment on a report of a burglary and assault.
Police say a 17-year-old female was home alone when an unknown male entered the apartment through an unlocked window and confronted her, demanding money.
When the victim told the suspect that she did not have any money, he violently assaulted her to the point of unconsciousness before tying her up with bedsheets and placing her in a closet.
The suspect then fled the scene. The victim eventually freed herself and escaped the apartment through a bathroom window and ran to a neighbor’s apartment for assistance.
The victim was treated at a local hospital for facial injuries but was later released.
The stolen proceeds in this incident were electronics and jewelry items.
As a result of an investigation conducted by the Montclair Police Detective Bureau, Mr. Anthony L. Harper, 30, Newark was identified as the suspect in this case.
Police charged Harper with the following criminal offenses:
1. Criminal Attempt – Murder
2. Kidnapping
3. Robbery
4. Burglary
5. Theft of Movable Property
6. Terroristic Threats 3rd-degree crime.
7. Endangering an Injured Victim
8. Aggravated Assault
9. Criminal Restraint
Police said Harper was apprehended Monday at Newark Penn Station by members of the New Jersey Transit Police Department who recognized Harper from statewide alerts put out by the Montclair Police Department.
He is currently in custody awaiting transport to the Essex County Correctional Facility.