By: Najla Alexander
Image by: Jerseyshoreonline.com
Authorities in Monmouth County announced that a Borough man has been convicted at trial in connection with a 2023 attempted sexual assault and robbery in Manalapan.
Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago stated that a two-week trial before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon, J.S.C., 48-year-old Anthony Burke was found guilty of first-degree Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault, first-degree Armed Robbery, second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
According to Monmouth County officials, on August 14, 2023, at approximately 9:48 p.m., officers from the Manalapan Township Police Department responded to Thompson Grove Park regarding an armed robbery.
Investigation revealed the perpetrator forced his way into the 19-year-old victim’s car, robbing and attempting to sexually assault her at gunpoint, Monmouth County officials say.
After her phone, keys, and cash were taken from her, the victim managed to free herself and flee to a nearby residence for help, MCPO officials said.
Monmouth County officials said that an investigation involving witness statements, a composite sketch of the perpetrator, law enforcement surveillance, cellular telephone analysis, digital forensic analysis, and vehicle location analysis ultimately worked to identify Burke as the assailant.
The investigation was led by the Manalapan Township Police Department, along with members of the MCPO’s Major Crimes, Special Victims, and High Tech Bureaus, with critical investigative collaboration from the Freehold Township Police Department, the Freehold Borough Police Department, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police Forensic Imaging Unit, MCPO officials say. 
Monmouth County authorities say that, due to the fact that Burke was found by the jury to be a Repeat Violent Offender based on prior violent convictions, he faces a mandatory term of 20 years to Life in a New Jersey State Prison when he is sentenced on Monday, May 18, 2026.