Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 54-year-old Philadelphia man pled guilty today in Superior Court to grabbing a woman who was walking along a Mt. Laurel roadway last year and attempting to sexually assault her after dragging her into a nearby wooded area.
Under an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, Donald Cramer Jr. will be sentenced to a term of 18 years in New Jersey state prison in exchange for pleading guilty to Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault (First Degree). The plea was entered in Mt. Holly before the Hon. Gerard H. Breland, J.S.C., who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10. Cramer has been lodged in the Burlington County Jail since his arrest.
The investigation revealed that on the afternoon of June 6, 2019, the victim was walking along Route 73 in Mt. Laurel when she was grabbed by Cramer and dragged into the wooded area near the I-295 northbound exit ramp.
At the same time, John Bishop, a Burlington County resident, was driving by and witnessed the abduction. He stopped his vehicle on the shoulder and went to assist the victim. He removed Cramer from the victim and was able to subdue him until Mt. Laurel Township police officers arrived and took him into custody. The victim, a Marlton woman in her fifties, was treated and released from an area hospital.
“Mr. Bishop’s courageous actions are directly responsible for preventing further and more serious harm to the victim,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “He saw someone who was in trouble and took immediate action. He has set a fine example for all of us to step forward and help our fellow members whenever we can.”
Cramer is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw. The investigation was conducted by the New Jersey State Police, with assistance from the Mt. Laurel Police Department.
