Goshen man accused of sexually assaulting a child, arrested after crashing into river
WARWICK - State police have charged a Goshen man with sexually assaulting a child in the town of Warwick.
According to state police, troopers and members of the Town of Warwick Police Department executed a search warrant at the home of Craig Merlock, 45, of Goshen around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, while he was not home.
While searching the area for Merlock, troopers saw his vehicle just before 2:30 a.m. and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
Police said Merlock failed to comply with officers and fled the area.
During the ensuing pursuit, Merlock drove his vehicle off the end of Iris Road in the town of Goshen and crashed into the Wallkill River, where the vehicle became submerged.
Merlock was seen escaping the vehicle before it became submerged and was located by troopers and taken into custody just before 4 a.m.
He was taken by Pine Island EMS to Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, where he was provided with medical attention.
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Merlock was charged with six counts each of predatory sexual assault against a child and promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child, both felonies, and one count each of resisting arrest, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, all misdemeanors.
He was arraigned at his hospital bed and turned over to the custody of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, pending a Thursday appearance in Town of Warwick Court. Bail information and the name of his attorney were not immediately available.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: State police say Goshen man sexually assaulted child, crashed in river
