Plainfield man indicted in alleged violent sexual assaults in Union County
A Plainfield man was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly committing two violent sexual assaults in Plainfield and Westfield last fall, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced.
Terence Rhue, 23, faces three counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, three counts of third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, two counts of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and two counts of fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, in the alleged attacks on two women, Daniel said.
Rhue also faces one count each of first-degree robbery, second-degree burglary, third-degree terroristic threats and fourth-degree criminal mischief, in the alleged Westfield assault, the prosecutor said.
Plainfield police responded around 8:40 p.m. Oct. 4, 2021 to Randolph Road where arriving officers spoke to a woman who described being forcibly grabbed, punched and then sexually assaulted at knifepoint in the parking lot of an apartment complex after she exited her car, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor, who is handling the case. The suspect then fled the scene.
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Around 12:50 p.m. Oct. 19, Westfield police responded to the area of Forest and Longfellow avenues where a woman said upon entering her house, she was confronted by a man with a knife who sexually assaulted her, Lawlor said. The man then took valuables from the home before fleeing the scene, the assistant prosecutor said.
An investigation led by the Union County Special Victims Unit and the Plainfield and Westfield police departments, assisted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center and the Scotch Plains and Fanwood police departments, identified Rhue as a suspect and led to his arrest two days after the Westfield attack.
Rhue is being held in the Essex County Jail pending a post-indictment arraignment. If convicted of the most serious first-degree crimes, he could be sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in state prison.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Plainfield NJ: Man indicted in Union County sexual assaults
