12-year-old walking home from movies is kidnapped, sexually assaulted, NJ officials say

A man accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl walking home from the movies and sexually assaulting her has been charged, New Jersey prosecutors say.

Keith Ashley-Drake, 52, is facing a number of charges, including “first-degree kidnapping, first-degree aggravated sexual assault (and) second-degree sexual assault,” the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said in an April 4 news release.

While the 12-year-old girl was walking home from the movies in Irvington the evening of March 17, a man approached her and convinced her to get into his car, prosecutors said. The man then drove her to his Fanwood home, where she was sexually assaulted the next day, according to the release.

Prosecutors said an investigation led to Ashley-Drake being identified as a suspect. He was arrested on March 31.

An investigation is ongoing, according to prosecutors.

Irvington is about 5 miles southwest of Newark.

Daniella Segura

McClatchy DC

Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.