Newark Police identify suspect in attempted abductions

Newark Police have identified a homeless sex offender as the main suspect in a pair of attempted abductions last weekend near the University of Delaware.

35-year-old Joseph Rudge is accused of trying to abduct two women in Newark over the July 4th holiday weekend.

Police released surveillance video showing the suspect outside the Main Towers apartment building in Newark where a 61-year-old woman was attacked around 3:30 a.m. on Monday, July 4. That victim was able to fight off the attack and escape. Earlier that night, a 28-year-old female University of Delaware student also successfully fought off an attempted abduction.

Police say after releasing the surveillance video, a resident tipped off police to Rudge as a possible suspect. After executing a search warrant at his last known address, police were able to obtain an arrest warrant for Rudge. 

They believe he may still be in the Newark area and could still frequent Main Street. They say if anyone sees Rudge, they should call police immediately and not try to apprehend him on their own.

According to the State Police sex offender registry, Rudge was convicted in 2001 of rape for a sexual assault involving a victim under the age of 16. 

When he’s arrested, Rudge will face a number of charges including attempted kidnapping, offensive touching, and failure to re-register as a sex offender.