Crime & Safety

Hovnanian School Janitor Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen

Bergenfield woman alleges the man engaged in 'inappropriate sexual activity' with her when she was a teen, prosecutor says.

A maintenance worker at New Milford’s Hovnanian School was arrested on sex assault charges Thursday after a Bergenfield woman alleged that he assaulted her when she was a teen, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office announced in a release Thursday.

According to the prosecutor, Abelardo Ramirez, 46, of Glen Rock, has been charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child.

The arrest stemmed from an investigation after the woman, now 23, reported the alleged assault to the Bergenfield Police Department last week, the release said. The woman said Ramirez engaged in “inappropriate sexual activity” with her when she was between the ages of 15 and 18, it said.

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Ramirez was remanded to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $350,000 bail, the Prosecutor’s Office said. An arraignment hearing is set for Feb. 26.


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