By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Somerset County announced that Oscar Vasquez Barraza, 45, of Plainfield, has been charged with explicit contact that occurred in the early morning hours on Sunday, July 20, in North Plainfield.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald stated that on Sunday, July 20, at approximately 2:07 a.m., North Plainfield Police received a 9-1-1 call reporting an explicit incident.
According to Somerset County officials, upon arrival, officers met with an adult female victim, a North Plainfield resident, who reported an explicit contact incident by an unknown male while walking home on Manning Avenue in North Plainfield.
The victim stated that while walking home, the suspect approached her and followed her, SCPO officials say.
The victim attempted to flee, sustaining injuries to her palms, knees, and foot, but the suspect caught up to her and eventually had explicit contact with her, Prosecutor McDonald stated.
While the explicit contact was happening, the victim managed to dial 9-1-1, causing the suspect to flee the area, Somerset County authorities said. Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit, along with detectives from the North Plainfield Police Department, responded to investigate.
Somerset County officials said that an investigation conducted by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and the North Plainfield Police Department led to the identification of Oscar Vasquez Barraza as a suspect in this case.
According to SCPO officials, on Tuesday, July 22, Oscar Vasquez Barraza was charged with 2nd degree Explicit Contact and 4th degree Criminal Explicit Contact.
Vasquez Barraza’s whereabouts are currently unknown as investigators continue their search for the defendant, Somerset County authorities said. 
Prosecutor McDonald urges the public to notify authorities if they know of his location.