Priest rescues woman in Attack in Clifton, NJ

The Record of Hackensack ^ | 07.08.03

[Coleus]

Priest rescues woman in attack Tuesday, July 8, 2003

By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ STAFF WRITER

CLIFTON - Police are seeking the identity of a priest whom a young woman credits with saving her from being kidnapped by a lewd attacker Monday afternoon, police said.

The woman told police she had been walking along Route 3 to her first day of work at a Clifton Commons business when a man pulled over, fondled her, and tried to force her into his car.

But the priest drove up at just the right time, police said. The attacker sped away without the woman, and he remained at large Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the priest took the shaken and slightly injured young woman to her workplace, dropped her off without identifying himself, and left. Police have no idea where the priest is from and are asking him to come forward.

"We would like to speak to the priest," Detective Capt. Robert Rowan said. "We don't know who he is. We don't know what parish he's from."

The 20-year-old woman was reporting to her first day at work around noon but apparently took the wrong NJ Transit bus, which dropped her off at Bloomfield Avenue, Rowan said. Instead of looking for another way to get to work, she decided to make the nearly two-mile trek on foot in the 90-degree heat.

She had gotten as far as Passaic Avenue when a man pulled up in a blue car. Rowan said the driver got out and told the woman that walking along a busy highway was dangerous. He then offered the woman a ride.

"She said she didn't feel at ease, and she declined the offer," Rowan said.

Then the man grabbed the woman's wrist and pulled her toward him, and she struggled to get away. At one point, he reached out and fondled her, Rowan said. The suspect also grabbed her free hand and forced her to touch him.

Police believe the man then tried to force her into his car, but another car pulled up and a priest in his clerical clothing approached both of them.

The girl told the priest what was going on, and the attacker released the woman, hopped into his car and fled on Route 3 west, Rowan said. In doing so, he said, the assailant snatched a pen the woman was using to take down the plate number from his car. The woman never got the tag, police said.

The priest gave her a ride to work and offered his cellphone to contact police. But she had to wait to get to her job to call police because the cellphone was not charged, Rowan said.

The clergyman dropped the young woman off without ever saying his name or where he was from, police said. He was described as a white male in his 60s with white hair and a heavyset build. He wore glasses and drove a gold, midsize car, Rowan said.

Rowan said police are reaching out to area dioceses in an effort to locate the good Samaritan. He also is important because he is a key witness, and he may even receive a special commendation from the Police Department, Rowan said.

A spokeswoman with the Paterson Diocese said employees there hadn't heard anything but they would inquire among their ranks.

"We'll certainly make a couple of calls and see if any of the priests who have local parishes might have intervened," said spokeswoman Marianna Thompson. A spokesman at the Newark Archdiocese could not be reached for comment Monday.

The woman described her attacker as 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet 2, and weighing about 160 pounds, with thinning hair. He was wearing dark jeans and a black-and-white checkered shirt. He may have been driving an Oldsmobile.

The woman had slight injuries but refused medical attention, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Robert Bracken at (973) 470-5938

[Coleus]

Nobody is sure who and of what denomination he is.

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[Alberta's Child]

I know a young priest from the Fraternity of St. Peter who probably would have broken a few of the guy's bones in the process of rescuing this woman.

[Coleus]

Mystery priest prevents a crime in Clifton
Play the video (07/08/03) CLIFTON - A priest is being hailed a hero after police say he stopped a potential crime on Route 3 in Clifton. Now a search is on for the clergyman, who authorities say scared off an abductor and drove a woman to safety, but never revealed his name. Police say the incident began when a man tried to force a woman into his car while she walked to work along Route 3. The woman told authorities that the man fondled her as he tried to pull her into his vehicle. It was at this time police say a priest pulled up beside the man and woman. As the priest, who was dressed in full clerical gear, approached the man, authorities say he released the woman. The woman told investigators that the clergyman took her to work but never identified himself. Clifton police have contacted nearby churches to see if they can locate the Good Samaritan priest. While police say they want to find the clergyman so he can be rewarded, they also are hoping he can provide a description of the suspect.
Share your views

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

If a priest, excellent. Need to see more of these types of incidents as opposed to what has come to light in recent months.

[victim soul]

Priests doing good deeds every day - thousands of them -- but you won't read about them in the press. God bless them all. And Let us pray for those who have fallen.

[NYCVirago]

St. Clare's Catholic Church is right in that area (south of Passaic Ave., right near Route 3).

[Coleus]

Priests doing good deeds every day - thousands of them -- but you won't read about them in the press. God bless them all. And Let us pray for those who have fallen. >>>

I agree and pray for the victims of those who have fallen.

[Coleus]

St. Clare's Catholic Church is right in that area (south of Passaic Ave., right near Route 3). >>>

The priests there are much too skinny to fit the description.

[OldCorps]

good for him that he didn't cross to the other side of the street and ignore the woman who fell among thieves...I'm paraphrasing of course.

[Coleus]

Hero priest remains a mystery

Wednesday, July 9, 2003
By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ STAFF WRITER

CLIFTON - Catholic dioceses in half the state spent Tuesday helping police search for a good Samaritan priest credited by a young woman with saving her from a sexual predator on Route 3 this week.

Police are seeking the priest as a direct witness to what the woman portrayed as an assault and near-kidnapping.

The assailant, driving a blue sedan, accosted the 20-year-old Belleville woman Monday morning as she walked to her new job at the Clifton Commons, police said. After pulling onto the shoulder, he got out, fondled her, and struggled with her, trying to pull her into his car.

The woman told police that as they tussled, an elderly clergyman pulled up. As she told him what was happening and implored him for help, her attacker released her and sped away in his car, possibly an Oldsmobile. The woman, shaken but not seriously hurt, said the priest then drove her to her job and left without identifying himself.

Police also were seeking the assailant, described as 30 to 40 years old, about 5-foot-2 and 160 pounds, and wearing dark jeans and a black-and-white checkered shirt. They said the victim had been interviewed several times and provided detailed and consistent information.

In seeking the priest, church authorities said they sent out alerts far and wide.

A Paterson diocesan spokeswoman said she contacted several priests fitting the victim's description of the priest: a white man with white hair, apparently in his 60s, heavyset, and wearing glasses.

"I've called just about everyone I know who would fit that description," the spokeswoman, Marianna Thompson, said. "It simply may not be a priest from this area." The Paterson Diocese oversees parishes in Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties.

The diocesan newspaper, The Beacon, and local TV and radio stations also related the story.

"Maybe through that the person will see the need to come forward," Thompson said.

The Newark Archdiocese sent an e-mail message to its 234 parishes in Bergen, Union, Hudson, and Essex counties, notifying them of a news account in The Record on Tuesday.

"Since he may be able to help identify the attacker and the vehicle ... we would like to notify the police" of the priest's identity, read the e-mail to more than 700 priests. "If this priest is living in the archdiocese he should contact the police."

Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said he also notified the Metuchen Diocese, which oversees more than 100 parishes in Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties.

Police have considered the possibility that the priest is not from New Jersey. However, a spokesman with the Archdiocese of New York said investigators hadn't contacted him.

"If the police were to contact us, I'm sure we would try to cooperate," said spokesman Joe Zwilling. The New York Archdiocese encompasses parishes from Staten Island and Manhattan to upstate New York.

Zwilling pointed out that although the victim said the clergyman was in clerical clothing, he is not necessarily of the Roman Catholic faith.

"Orthodox faiths, Anglicans, Lutherans, they all wear priestly clothes," Zwilling said.

Police Detective Capt. Robert Rowan said the victim described a Roman collar, the small white band usually worn by Catholic priests.

"We're considering the possibility he is of another faith, although it seems to be more probably that he's Catholic," Rowan said.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Detective Robert Bracken at (973) 470-5938.

Ashanti M. Alvarez's e-mail address is alvarez@northjersey.com

[johniegrad]

Father?

[eastsider]

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Heb13:2

[BlessedBeGod]

Wonderful bump!

[ninenot]

Sounds like Myers.

[semaj]

The priest appeared just in time to save the women from a terrible fate.

That's weird, but it seems I've heard this story before, except that it took place almost 2,00 years ago.

[cpforlife.org]

What a great story! This comes at a much-needed time when so much looks bleak.

God bless the good Father, whomever he is.

[ELS]

Myers' hair isn't (all) grey, yet.

[Coleus]

The priest has been identified and wishes to remain anonymous.

[Coleus]

Priest who thwarted abduction calls police

Thursday, July 10, 2003

By ASHANTI M. ALVAREZ
STAFF WRITER

The priest who saved a Belleville woman from being abducted by a lewd attacker along Route 3 came forward Wednesday but refused to be identified, saying that "I only did what I thought I should do."

"He was able to get the woman to safety and stop a situation," said Jim Goodness, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark. "He's happy about that. He just prefers at this point that he go back to normal."

The attacker remained at large Wednesday, but police now have an important witness. Goodness said the priest, who has spoken with police but declined media interviews, works at a parish in Essex County and has been ordained for more than 30 years.

Was driving on Route 3

The clergyman was driving along Route 3 west on Monday morning in Clifton when he spotted a 20-year-old Belleville woman struggling with a man who was trying to force her into his car, police said.

The unidentified woman had been walking to her new job at Clifton Commons after she took the wrong NJ Transit bus, which dropped her off nearly two miles away from the shopping complex, police said.

Her attacker had pulled over, offered her a ride, and begun manhandling her when she refused. Grabbing her wrists, he proceeded to sexually fondle her, police said, and he was pulling her toward his blue sedan when the priest drove up.

Goodness said that according to the priest's version of events, there was no need to struggle with the attacker, who fled once the woman implored the priest for help.

Then the priest put the woman in his gold-colored sedan, took her to the Commons, and left once he knew she was safe, Goodness said. The woman called police from her job. She described the attacker as 30 to 40 years of age, 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighing about 160 pounds, and wearing dark jeans and a black-and-white checkered shirt.

Police said she described the priest as a white male in his 60s with white hair, a heavyset build, and eyeglasses. Goodness said the priest matches that description.

The priest is one of more than 700 in the Newark Archdiocese, which oversees parishes in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties.

Goodness said the priest had contacted Clifton police. Further information on the progress of the investigation, including the interview of the priest, was not available. Neither investigators in the case nor Police Chief Robert Ferreri returned calls by Wednesday evening.

On Tuesday, Goodness had sent an e-mail to the 234 parishes in the archdiocese's jurisdiction, noting the police search for the good Samaritan. Goodness included Clifton police Detective Robert Bracken's phone number in the e-mail.

The anonymous priest called police and notified the archdiocese administration.

Goodness said the priest had seen news accounts of his good deeds but responded only when called upon by the archdiocese because, he told Goodness, "I only did what I thought I should do."

Goodness said he had been somewhat taken aback when the priest called.

"Nobody was holding out any hope of truly finding him," Goodness said, pointing out that the good Samaritan priest could have been from anywhere, given that the incident happened on a major highway.

"He might have been from Pennsylvania," Goodness observed.

E-mail: alvarez@northjersey.com