⚠️ A 41-year-old man is accused of a vicious attack on a Newark woman.
➡️ The victim was walking home from a bus stop around 1:30 a.m. when she was punched by a man following her.
🔴 Harris is a convicted sex offender, having served roughly nine years in prison.
NEWARK — A 41-year-old known sex offender is accused of punching a woman in the face repeatedly, during a street attack caught on video.
Lee Darryl Harris, of Hackensack, is charged with aggravated assault and criminal trespass for the brutal assault on Sept. 18.
A woman was followed on her walk home in Newark
The victim had left work and was walking home from a bus stop around 1:30 a.m. when she saw a man watching and following her.
As she reached her apartment on Leslie Street, the man is seen on security camera footage approaching and repeatedly punching the victim in the face and body.
He “shushed” the victim, but she fought back and screamed, sending the man running, police said.
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Lee Darryl Harris is accused of punching a woman repeatedly outside her Newark home (Newark Police via Facebook)
Police shared attack video while searching for the suspect
Police publicly shared the security footage a week later, asking for help tracking down the attacker.
On Oct. 6, police reviewing surveillance footage from the night of the attack saw a car that had been trailing the bus the victim was on.
Harris previously served almost nine years in prison for aggravated sexual assault.
He has been out of state prison since December 2024, records show.
Lee Darryl Harris, accused in a recent Newark street attack, served time for aggravated sexual assault (NJDOC)
“The violent nature of this incident is both heinous and alarming,” Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr. said in a written statement, commending detectives for working tirelessly on the case.
“I trust that this arrest brings the victim a measure of peace as she continues to heal and to seek justice for this terrifying attack,” Miranda added.
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