Shawn Custis is preparing to go on trial on charges in a home invasion attack caught on a "nanny-cam" Watch video
NEWARK -- As he prepares to go on trial on charges in a 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn caught on a "nanny-cam," Shawn Custis allegedly admitted to committing that offense last week when he spit in the faces of two Essex County Sheriff's officers, authorities said.
The incident allegedly occurred on March 9 while Custis was in the holding cell area outside the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
During the altercation, Custis used expletives and threatened a female sheriff's officer, saying he would "bash your face in like I did to that (woman) in Millburn," Carter said. Custis also said he was "already getting thirty years" and that he was not worried, Carter said.
Custis then spit in the faces of the officer and her male partner, Carter said. The incident took place after Custis had appeared before Wigler for a hearing in the "nanny-cam" case, Carter said.
For that alleged incident, Custis has been charged with two counts of throwing bodily fluids on a law enforcement officer and one count of terroristic threats, according to Carter.
Custis, 45, of Newark, remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail.
The state is seeking to introduce Custis's statements to the sheriff's officer as evidence at his trial in the "nanny-cam" case, Carter said. A hearing on that matter is scheduled for Monday before Wigler.
Jury selection in the trial is set to begin on Tuesday.
Custis is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft in connection with the June 21, 2013 incident.
Authorities have said Custis broke into the victim's house and kicked, punched and threw the woman down the basement stairs as her 3-year-old daughter sat on the living-room couch. Her 18-month-old son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, authorities said.
Custis also stole various jewelry items and a cell phone from the residence, authorities said.
On June 28, 2013, Custis was arrested as he was leaving the New York City apartment building of a then-girlfriend at the time.
Inside that woman's apartment, authorities later seized a pair of jeans belonging to Custis that allegedly contained the victim's blood. A DNA analysis of the jeans shows the victim's blood was on the jeans, authorities said.
Over the last month, Wigler has ruled that those jeans may be presented as evidence at the trial and that four witnesses who know Custis may testify at the trial about how they spoke with the police and identified him as the assailant in the "nanny-cam" video.
The judge has previously said that, due to Custis's lengthy criminal record, he could be sentenced to 40 years in state prison if he is convicted at the trial.
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.