For Immediate Release:
May 28, 2026

Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 40-year-old JOSE E. CASTANEDA of Lyndhurst, NJ on charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Jeff Angermeyer, and the Lyndhurst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Carrino.

On Friday, May 15, 2026, the New York City Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile that occurred in Lyndhurst, NJ. A subsequent investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lyndhurst Police Department revealed that JOSE E. CASTANEDA engaged in sexual conduct in 2025 with a juvenile in Lyndhurst.

As a result of the investigation, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, JOSE E. CASTANEDA was arrested in Lyndhurst, NJ and charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault, N.J.S.A. 2c:14-2(b); and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4a(1). CASTANEDA was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.

Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Lyndhurst Police Department for its assistance in this investigation. Moreover, he thanks the New York City Police Department for its assistance.