TRENTON, NJ — A 51-year-old Trenton man has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl during a prayer service in the city, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey announced Monday.
Jose Agustin-Hernandez is charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree criminal sexual contact, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was taken into custody on Sunday, December 29, by members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO). Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Agustin-Hernandez pending trial.
According to the criminal complaint, the assault occurred on the evening of Tuesday, December 23, 2024, at an in-home chapel on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton. Agustin-Hernandez is alleged to have entered a room where the child was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. The victim reportedly ran out of the room crying and informed a family member.
Residents at the home attempted to chase down the suspect as he fled, but he escaped from sight near a corner of the block.
Investigators from the Trenton Police Department and the prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit conducted interviews and reviewed video surveillance footage from nearby locations, which ultimately led to the identification of Agustin-Hernandez as the suspect.