Burlington County officials announced that a 28-year-old homeless man has been charged with sexually assaulting two women after threatening to harm them with a knife if they resisted.
Shawn Midgette, who is known to stay in the Willingboro area, was taken into custody on Tuesday at approximately 4:00 p.m. by Willingboro police at the McDonald’s restaurant on Beverly Rancocas Road. The knife believed to be used during the assaults was found on his person.
The investigation began July 24 after an elderly woman was sexually assaulted in her vehicle by a man who asked for a ride as she exited a pharmacy in the 100 block of Springside Road in Westampton.
The assailant forced her to drive to the Garfield East section of Willingboro, where he assaulted her and took cash from her purse before fleeing on foot.
Midgette was immediately identified as a suspect, and patrol units in Willingboro, Mount Holly and Westampton began an active search for him.
An alert was issued to law enforcement agencies in Burlington and neighboring counties, and investigators began checking area homeless shelters to determine where he had been staying.
On July 25, Mount Holly police were contacted by a homeless woman who said she was threatened with a knife and sexually assaulted in Monroe Park at approximately 10:30 p.m. The victim was acquainted with Midgette.
Midgette was charged last night with two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault, Robbery, two counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and two counts of Certain Persons Not to Possess Firearms.
All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.