Westwood Student, 20, Arrested Over Sex Assault of Child

Pena-Ortiz. | BCPO photo.

WESTWOOD, N.J.—Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announces the arrest of Christian Pena-Ortiz, 20, a Westwood student, on charges of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. 

The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Westwood Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Pontillo.

On Friday, April 5 the Division of Child Protection and Permanency received information that the defendant engaged in sexual contact with a child under the age of 13. 

As the result of the ensuing investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Westwood Police Department, the defendant was arrested on Monday, April 8 and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault, a crime of the first degree, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a crime of the third degree.

The defendant was lodged in the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on April 9.