FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Executive Assistant Prosecutor Gene Rubino
PHONE: (201) 795-6402
EMAIL: grubino@hcpo.org
DATE: Monday, November 2, 2015

PROSECUTOR’S DETECTIVE SAVES CHILD

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said that on Friday evening, October 30, 2015, detectives from the Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit and Task Force were in the area of 23rd Street and Avenue C in Bayonne executing an arrest warrant for Carlos Santos, age 27, of Bayonne, who was wanted for sexually assaulting a 7 year old girl and a 12 year old girl. Santos put up a violent struggle with detectives biting a Prosecutor’s Task Force Detective’s finger and punching another Task Force Detective in the face. Santos was eventually placed in handcuffs and arrested without further incident. As Santos was being placed in a police vehicle, a female, who had no connection to the prior incident and was at a traffic light in the area, exited her car and yelled out that her child was choking. Prosecutor’s Detectives immediately ran over and one of the injured Task Force Detectives, who is also an Emergency Medical Technician, dislodged a blockage and opened the airway saving the child’s life. Emergency Medical Services then arrived and treated the child and the injured detectives. Due to the detective’s current assignment, his or her identity is not being revealed.

Santos was additionally charged with Resisting Arrest and multiple counts of Aggravated Assault on Police Officers. Prosecutor Suarez said, “This was an extraordinary scenario. Despite being violently assaulted by a suspect and injured, our detectives immediately sprang into action and saved this child’s life. I am grateful the child is okay and am very proud of our detectives.” The above charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. R.P.C. 3.6(b)(6).