MOONACHIE, N.J. — An Ecuadorian migrant living in New Jersey faces multiple child sex crime charges after investigators accused him of attempting to sexually assault a juvenile girl inside a Moonachie residence and engaging in repeated unwanted sexual contact over more than a year, prosecutors said.
Authorities arrested 37-year-old Marvin A. Nugra Ruiz of Little Falls on Thursday, May 14, following a joint investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Moonachie Police Department. Prosecutors allege the incidents involving the same juvenile victim occurred in both Moonachie and Little Falls between January 2025 and February 2026.
Month-long investigation uncovered multiple alleged incidents
The investigation began after the Moonachie Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on Friday, April 10, regarding an alleged sexual assault involving a juvenile victim.
According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, detectives spent the next month investigating allegations that Nugra Ruiz attempted to sexually assault the victim inside a Moonachie home in February 2026.
Investigators also determined that multiple incidents of alleged criminal sexual contact involving the same victim occurred between January 2025 and February 2026 in Little Falls, authorities said.
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office did not release additional details about the victim’s age or the circumstances surrounding the investigation.
Arrest made in Paramus
Authorities arrested Nugra Ruiz in Paramus on Thursday and transported him to the Bergen County Jail, where he remains pending his first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack.
Prosecutors charged Nugra Ruiz with:
- Second-degree sexual assault
- Two counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child
- Three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact
The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said the charges stem from allegations involving a female juvenile victim.
Key Points
• Bergen County prosecutors charged a Little Falls man with sexual assault and child endangerment
• Investigators say the alleged incidents involving a juvenile occurred in Moonachie and Little Falls
• Authorities arrested the suspect Thursday in Paramus after a month-long investigation
Multiple agencies assisted investigation
Prosecutor Musella credited the Moonachie Police Department for assisting in the investigation and also thanked the Little Falls Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office for their coordination during the case.
The investigation was conducted under the direction of Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Chief Jeff Angermeyer and Moonachie Police Chief Richard Behrens.
Authorities have not indicated whether additional victims may exist or whether further charges could follow.
Like all defendants charged with crimes in New Jersey, Nugra Ruiz is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case remains active as prosecutors prepare for the defendant’s first court appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.
