A 31-year-old New York man accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Union City girl escaped from authorities after being apprehended over the weekend and spent about 24 hours on the run before being arrested, authorities said.

It is not clear how Luis Bescome, 31, of Queens, was able to escape from custody after he was initially apprehended on Friday. Union City police spotted him on Saturday at about 11:30 p.m. near 39th Street and arrested him, according to a statement from Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez.

Bescome has been charged with second-degree sexual assault, third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree escape, drug possession and obstruction, authorities said.

He is accused of assaulting the girl on the steps of her Union City apartment building on Friday. She was able to flee and alert an adult, who then contacted police, prosecutors said.

Bescome was taken into custody the first time after being located "at a nearby shelter," prosecutors said. He was taken to a county prosecutor's office facility in Jersey City, which is where he escaped from "a short time after arriving," prosecutors said.

County prosecutors did not have any additional information about the alleged sexual assault or Bescome's Friday escape.

Suarez credited the Union City Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Maywood Police Department K-9 Unit, the Jersey City Police Department and the Hudson County Sheriff's Office for their assistance.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.