Authorities are investigating whether the victim in an alleged sexual assault inside a Newark firehouse was provided alcohol by Newark Fire Department officers prior to the alleged incident, NJ Advance Media has learned.
NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating whether the victim in an alleged sexual assault inside a Newark firehouse was provided alcohol by Newark Fire Department officers prior to the alleged incident, NJ Advance Media has learned.
Additional details of the probe indicate the alleged female victim may have been transported to the firehouse in an official city fire department vehicle before being allegedly assaulted by at least one city firefighter, a source said.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Another person familiar with the investigation confirmed the details.
A fire department spokesman last week confirmed the existence of an Essex County Prosecutor's Office investigation into the allegations, but declined to comment.
Reached Tuesday, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly declined to comment on the particulars of the allegations, but confirmed that an investigation into the incident by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is ongoing.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the woman left a Nov. 11 concert in downtown Newark when she met at least one uniformed Newark firefighter. The woman informed the officer that her cellular phone had lost power, and that she had lost touch with friends who had also attended the concert, the sources said.
The woman was offered assistance, and was later allegedly transported to the Engine 5 fire station in an official Newark Fire Department vehicle, one source said.
Located in the heart of the bustling Ironbound district, the Congress Street fire station is nestled between a block of single-family homes and the restaurants and bars that line Ferry Street.
How long she remained at the station is currently unclear, but after arriving, the alleged victim phoned a friend to meet her there, the sources said. At some point, firefighters still at the station allegedly served the woman alcohol and invited her up to the station's sleeping quarters, a source said.
The source said there is currently no indication that the woman was physically forced into the sleeping quarters. Once there, the woman was allegedly assaulted by at least one firefighter, sources said.
The woman left the firehouse with a friend and was later transported to a hospital, where she reported the alleged incident to authorities, sources said.
Two Newark firefighters now face possible departmental charges in connection with the alleged incident, NJ Advance Media has learned.
According to multiple sources in the department, the firefighters could face discipline for allegedly violating department protocol in allowing a civilian into the firehouse.
Both officers remain on active duty while investigators with the department's Arson Division, the division charged with conducting internal investigations, probes the potential violations.
Both the internal probe and the investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office into the incident could result in additional disciplinary or criminal charges.
Staff Reporter Dan Ivers contributed to this report.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
