A 47-year-old homeless man with a history of violence against women is accused of breaking into the home of a Jersey City woman, sexually assaulting her and then attempting to light her on fire.
Jermaine Adams faces charges including aggravated sexual assault, home invasion burglary, aggravated arson, criminal restraint and making terroristic threats against the woman whose home he broke into around 5 p.m. Sunday, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.
“Responding officers located a female victim who reported an unknown male entered her residence through a window before physically and sexually assaulting her,” prosecutors said. “The female victim was treated at a local hospital for multiple injuries.”
The horrific incident lasted for nearly two hours. After breaking into the home, Jermaine allegedly choked the victim multiple times with a clothesline and and threatened to kill her before she managed to escape and call police shortly before 7 p.m.
Adams is also accused of soaking the woman’s sweater in rum and trying to light it on fire, according to NJ.com. Investigating officers reportedly found a sweater in the victim’s home that had a burn mark on one of its arms.
Adam’s issues with the law date back to 1999, and he’s been arrested at least 11 times, according to electronic court records. His 25-year criminal history includes charges of animal cruelty, robbery and drug crimes. He’s twice been sentenced to prison, NJ.com reported.
Most recently, Adams was accused of beating a woman nearly beyond recognition over the course of three days last October. He was also charged with hitting a woman in the face in late 2023.
Prosecutors said Adams was being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility on a warrant for an unrelated matter when he was charged with Sunday’s attack. According to NJ.com, a new DNA lab has been credited with his swift arrest.
