Brittany Horn

The News Journal

Three local police agencies have arrested a 35-year-old man who they say attempted to abduct two people during the July Fourth weekend in Newark.

Newark police, Delaware State Police and Middletown police captured Joseph B. Rudge in the 1200 block of N. Claymont St. in Wilmington on Sunday following numerous tips from the public, said Lt. Bill Hargrove, a spokesman for the Newark Police Department. The Newark Police SWAT team served a search warrant at the home, and Rudge was taken into custody without incident, he said.

Rudge was charged with two counts of second-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted carjacking, attempted theft with a victim over 62 years of age, failure to reregister as a sex offender, attempted theft and two counts of offensive touching.

He was taken to Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington after failing to post $48,700 secured bail.

Police identify man who tried to abduct two in Newark

2 attempted abductions reported in Newark

Two women reported attempted abductions on July 3 and July 4 to police.

The first woman, a 28-year-old University of Delaware student, told police a man entered her building at Colonial Gardens on East Main Street in Newark and grabbed her from behind. He then attempted to put a rag with an unknown chemical around her mouth, police said.

She was able to fight him off as he tried to push her outside, and he fled on foot, police said.

A similar situation happened the following day, when a 61-year-old woman reported being grabbed from behind when exiting her vehicle at Main Towers on East Main Street, police said. The man grabbed the woman's neck and mouth and tried to push her into the vehicle but was unsuccessful, police said.

Again, he fled the scene.

Rudge was charged in these crimes.

Anyone with additional information should contact Detective James Skinner at (302) 366-7100, ext. 3135, or james.skinner@cj.state.de.us. Tips may also be provided via anonymous text message by texting "302NPD" and your message to TIP411, as well as contacting Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or tipsubmit.com where a reward may be available.

Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.

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