A 15-year-old New Jersey girl managed to escape from a man who allegedly raped her inside a motel room by hiding in a gas station mini-market, according to police.
Nj.com reports that 21-year-old Xavier Patten is facing charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. According to authorities, Patten is accused of luring the teen girl to a Tonnelle Avenue motel in Jersey City on July 7, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her after she refused his advances.
The victim told police she managed to bite Patten’s finger, which gave her the chance to escape. She said she ran to a nearby gas station and hid in the back of the store until authorities arrived.
A gas station attendant reportedly told authorities that he saw a girl in a red dress run into the store and hide. The attendant said a man came into to the store shortly after, but the attendant told him the girl had already left.
Patten was arrested shortly after the incident, but his lawyer, James Lisa, claimed the girl met Patten online and presented herself as an adult. The attorney requested the teen’s phone records as proof. Lisa also said the teen met Patten at the hotel voluntarily after she convinced him she was 25, according to the outlet.
The story is developing. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
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[Feature Photo: Xavier Patten/Police Handout]
