NJ police Sgt. Andrew LaBruno, ex-Dem candidate charged with assaulting child
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A New Jersey police sergeant and former Democratic mayor faces multiple charges after allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a boy he met online, according to the Bergen County District Attorney’s Office.
Jersey City police Sgt. Andrew LaBruno, 44, was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual battery and endangering the welfare of a child, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a statement.
The alleged assault occurred earlier that day at a home in Englewood, New Jersey, authorities said.
Investigators allege LaBruno contacted a teen through a social media app, arranged a meeting, and went to the victim’s home while he was alone.
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Jersey City police Sgt. Andrew LaBruno, a former Democratic candidate for the state legislature, has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a boy he met online, prosecutors in New Jersey said. (Andrew LaBruno/Facebook)
Criminal complaint examined New York Post He said LaBruno “squirted an unknown substance into the victim’s hand before placing it in the victim’s mouth and nose, causing the victim to become dizzy.”
The complaint alleged that the victim was “physically helpless” due to drugs, at which point LaBruno committed the sexual assault, according to the report.
It’s unclear who called 911, but responding officers found the victim was experiencing “cognitive impairment” at the home, the complaint states.
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Andrew LaBruno has been with the Jersey City Police Department for nearly 26 years, according to his 2025 campaign website for state assemblyman. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
Authorities said LaBruno was taken into custody after investigators determined the suspect had probable cause based on statements made at the scene (recorded by body camera) and physical evidence supporting it.
The injured was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
LaBruno, a 26-year veteran of Jersey City police, ran unsuccessfully for the State House Democratic nomination in New Jersey’s 39th District earlier this month.
He previously served on the Dumont County Council and was mayor of Dumont from 2020 to 2023.
Jersey City police Sgt. Andrew LaBruno, 44, ran as a Democrat to represent the 39th District in the New Jersey General Assembly but lost the Nov. 5 election. (Andrew LaBruno/Facebook)
Prior to his last political campaign, LaBruno served on the Dumont County Council in 2018 and served as mayor of Dumont from January 2020 to December 2023.
He is currently being held in the Bergen County Jail without bail. According to local sources, the Jersey City Police Department suspended him without pay.
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LaBruno, who is married with two children, also coaches youth sports through Dumont Recreation, according to his campaign website.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Jersey City Mayor’s Office and the Bergen County District Attorney’s Office but did not hear back by the time of publication.
