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The victim had returned home at 3 a.m. Monday when she was grabbed in the dark hallway by Junior Dani Nunez, 29, who’d burglarized her Passaic Street apartment, Hackensack Police Capt. Darrin DeWitt said.
Nunez – who records show has a violent criminal history -- "put both hands around her neck, squeezed and let go only to punch her several times in the stomach," DeWitt said.
The victim fled to a bedroom and locked the door. He was gone when she emerged several hours later, and she called police, the captain said.
Later that same day, a neighbor called police after hearing the victim screaming for help.
When no one answered orders to open the door, Officers Nicholas Ortiz, Peter Bongiovanni and Daniel Francaviglia kicked it in – and found Nunez and the victim inside, DeWitt said.
“Nunez had burglarized the apartment and assaulted the victim again,” he said.
Nunez, of Paterson, has a criminal history that includes an arrest for assault last February in Woodcliff Lake, as well as arrests in previous years for criminal restraint, burglary, contempt and harassment out of Passaic County – and for armed burglary in 2013.
Hackensack police on Tuesday charged him with two counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault and burglary, as well as a single count of criminal restraint.
He remained held Wednesday in the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
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Hackensack police urge anyone who witnesses or has information about a crime to reach out to Crimestoppers of Bergenfield, Englewood, Teaneck, Hackensack and Bogota, which offers cash rewards of up to $1,000. Tips can be made anonymously, 24/7, at bergencrimestoppers.org or by calling (844) 466-6789.
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