A Jersey City man was convicted last week of attempted kidnapping and criminal sexual contact of a Bergen County woman in broad daylight in connection to an incident from December 29th, 2020, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On Thursday, February 8th, after a two-week trial before Bergen County Superior Court Judge James X. Sattely, Randy Gallman was convicted of attempted kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, simple assault, and harassment.
His sentencing is scheduled for May 3rd, Musella said in a statement.
On the afternoon of December 29, 2020, as Gallman was working as a flower delivery driver, he harassed a passerby in Fort Lee.
20 minutes later, he spotted the victim again in Leonia. There, Gallman grabbed the victim, dragged her into an alleyway, and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim fought with him before he ran away.
Within 24 hours, Gallman was apprehended by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with assistance from the Fort Lee Police Department, Leonia Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Jersey City Police Department.
At trial, the State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Gary Donatello of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit with the assistance of Detectives Ivis Coghan and Danny Lim, and Victim Advocate Michelle Churchill.
The defendant was represented by Laura Sutnick, of Hackensack-based Sutnick & Sutnick.
Musella thanks Assistant Prosecutor Donatello “for his zealous advocacy and for helping to bring justice for the victim in this prosecution.”
He also commends the detectives of his Special Victims Unit as well as members of the Fort Lee Police Department, the Leonia PD, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, and Jersey City PD for their skill and professionalism in investigating this matter.
