Woman fights off rapist in NJ mall bathroom attack, cops say

🔴 North Jersey man charged with attempted sexual assault

🔴 He followed victim into women's restroom, cops say

🔴 She managed to escape and call the police

HACKENSACK — A woman managed to save herself from a terrifying attack in a North Jersey mall restroom.

Craig Herbert, 30, of New Milford was arrested on Friday, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella.

The attack happened Thursday evening at the Riverside Square Mall in Hackensack, officials said.

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According to prosecutors, a woman was at the mall and went into a women's restroom.

A strange man was slinking behind her and followed her inside, prosecutors said.

Once he was in the restroom, the man "shoved" her to the floor and tried to sexually assault the woman, according to Musella.

She fought off the man, escaped, and then called the police. The suspect got away before police arrived but detectives used surveillance footage from the mall to identify him as Herbert.

He was arrested the next day and charged with second-degree attempted sexual assault, third-degree criminal restraint, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, and simple assault.

Bergen County Jail records showed Herbert was still in custody as of Sunday.

Records also showed Herbert had three separate prior stints at the jail in 2014, 2015, and 2016. However, no information about the related charges was available.

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