Freehold man sentenced to 40 years for attempted sexual assault, robbery in Manalapan
Prosecutors say Anthony Burke forced his way into a 19-year-old woman's car and robbed and attempted to sexually assault her at gunpoint in 2023.
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A Freehold man has been sentenced to 40 years in state prison for robbing and attempting to sexually assault a 19-year-old woman at gunpoint in Manalapan in 2023, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
Anthony Burke, 48, was sentenced Monday after a jury found him guilty in February of attempted aggravated sexual assault, armed robbery and two weapons offenses. Burke was found to be a repeat violent offender based on prior violent convictions, prosecutors said.
Police responded to Thompson Grove Park around 9:45 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2023, for a report of an armed robbery. Prosecutors said Burke forced his way into the woman's car, robbed her and attempted to sexually assault her at gunpoint.
After Burke took her phone, keys and cash, the woman was able to free herself and run to a nearby home for help, according to prosecutors.
Investigators used witness statements, a composite sketch, surveillance, cellphone and digital forensic analysis and vehicle location analysis to identify Burke, prosecutors said.
The investigation involved Manalapan and Freehold police, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Monmouth County Sheriff's Office and New Jersey State Police.
