Union City Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Teen Girl In Oakland
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 7:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
OAKLAND, NJ.- A 22-year-old Union City, New Jersey, man was taken into custody and jailed after being charged in connection with sexually assaulting a teen girl inside his vehicle during the afternoon hours of Thursday in Oakland, New Jersey.
According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, on Thursday, March 27, 2025, members of the Oakland Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an individual screaming in the area of Ramapo Valley Road and East Oak Street in Oakland.
Upon arrival, Police Officers located a child between the ages of thirteen and sixteen who informed Police Officers that they were involved in an altercation with a man inside his vehicle. Police Officers were quickly able to locate the vehicle and the driver, who was later identified as Elmer Barranco, 22, of Union City, New Jersey, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Based on the initial information provided by the teen, Police Officers notified the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit.
Investigation Uncovers Child Sex Crimes
During a swift-moving joint investigation by the Bergen County Special Victims Unit and the Oakland Police Department, Detectives quickly determined that on Thursday, Barranco sexually assaulted and endangered the child who he was acquainted with, inside his vehicle in both Oakland, New Jersey, as well as Clifton, New Jersey.
Accordingly, following the investigation, Barranco was taken into custody in Oakland, New Jersey, and formally charged with two counts of second-degree Sexual Assault; two counts of third-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child; and two counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact, he was also issued multiple vehicle summonses.
Barranco was processed on the charges and was remanded to the Bergen County Jail, pending future court proceedings in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, New Jersey.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
