FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Raymond Worrall

PHONE:  (201) 795-6400 Ext. 6737

EMAIL:  rworrall@hcpo.org

TWITTER:  @HCPOProsecutor

WEB:  hcpo.org

DATE:  Tuesday, October 29, 2018

WEST NEW YORK MAN FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT; ENDANGERING

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has released the following information:

On Thursday, October 25, 2018, Edwin Romero-Larios, age 30, of West New York, was convicted by a Hudson County jury of Sexual Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, both second-degree crimes, after more than three days of trial testimony.

The jury found Romero-Larios guilty of sexually assaulting the victim, a pre-pubescent girl, on diverse dates in 2017 in West New York. The victim’s mother was in a relationship with the defendant at the time of the assaults. The jury deliberated approximately seven hours before returning their decision of guilty on Sexual Assault and Endangering counts. He was acquitted of one count of first-degree Aggravated Sexual Assault.

Romero-Larios faces up to 10 years in state prison for each count and will have to serve 85 percent of any sentence imposed without the possibility of parole for the Sexual Assault conviction. The convictions will subject the defendant to registration under Megan’s Law and Parole Supervision for Life.

The Honorable Sheila Venable, J.S.C. presided over the trial. Judge Venable is scheduled to sentence the defendant on January 8, 2019.

The State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Barbara Drasheff.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit investigated the case.