A 37-year-old Newark man surrendered to police hours after being named a suspect in the beating of a Rutgers University woman.
Michael Knight, 37, of Newark, faces charges of attacking a Rutgers University woman on the New Brunswick campus and severely beating her and attempting to sexual assault her. (Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office) NEW BRUNSWICK -- A Newark man surrendered to police early Saturday, one day after he was identified as the attacker who severely beat a female Rutgers University student and attempted to sexually assault her in New Brunswick, authorities said.
Michael Knight, 37, turned himself in to police in Newark and was charged with aggravated assault and attempted aggravated sexual assault, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a joint statement with Rutgers police Chief Kenneth Cop and New Brunswick police Director Anthony Caputo.
They said Knight is also charged with aggravated sexual contact, kidnapping and endangering the welfare of the victim.
Knight additionally faces a charge of making terroristic threats for allegedly saying he would shoot a man who attempted to follow Knight as he fled from the attack on the woman.
Knight is being held on $1 million bail.
In a separate and unrelated incident, South Brunswick police said Knight is also charged with a May 2015 burglary in that municipality. No details of the burglary were immediately available.
Authorities said the attack on the woman occurred about 3:30 a.m. on May 4 near College Avenue and Seminary Place on the New Brunswick campus.
The assailant struck the woman on the head, severely beat her and was attempting to sexually assault her when a group of people intervened, authorities said. They said that as the attacker fled, he yelled that he had a gun and threatened to shoot one of the men who attempted to chase him.
The woman was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where she was treated for injuries and later released, authorities said.
On Friday afternoon, Middlesex County authorities issued an announcement saying Knight was being sought for the New Brunswick assault.
They said the investigation is continuing and ask that anyone with information about the case to call Rutgers University police Detective Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez at (848) 932-8025, or Detective George Stilwell of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (732) 745-8675.