FANWOOD, NJ – Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced on Tuesday the arrest of a Fanwood man in connection with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor that occurred last month in Irvington and Fanwood. Keith Ashley-Drake, 52, is facing multiple charges, including first-degree kidnapping, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit launched an investigation after receiving notification from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office about a kidnapping that occurred in Irvington on March 17th and a subsequent sexual assault in Union County. The investigation revealed that around 10 pm on March 17th, a 12-year-old girl from Irvington was approached by Ashley-Drake while she was walking home from the movies. The suspect convinced the victim to enter his vehicle and drove her to his Fanwood home, where he sexually assaulted her on March 18th.
As a result of the investigation, Ashley-Drake was identified as the suspect, and he was arrested on March 31st. He is currently being held in the Essex County Jail, awaiting a detention hearing scheduled for today.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office urges anyone with further information about Ashley-Drake to contact Special Victims Unit Sergeant Nick Veltre at (908) 347-7330 and Detective Craig Famoso at (908) 578-1036. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.