NJ serial criminal charged with rape after DNA evidence

Thomas Anderson, 31 and a repeat offender, was arrested on charges of rape after DNA evidence, taken from all people convicted of crimes in New Jersey showed a match to DNA found at the crime scene.

Police said Thomas Anderson — who is in the Ocean County Jail on other, unrelated charges — was a positive match for the DNA that was collected from the victim by professionals after the July 14 attack was reported to police, Detective Christopher Fluck said.

As a routine procedure, a second DNA sample will be taken from Anderson to confirm the identification, authorities said.

Fluck said that upon hearing the news, the victim showed "a sense of relief. She was just relieved it is finally over."

Anderson made his first court appearance Monday before Court Judge James Den Uyl. Anderson was charged Friday with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, and theft.

The victim, a Toms River woman in her early 40s, was walking on Cedar Grove Road when she was attacked at about 1:15 a.m. July 14 and dragged to the rear of a closed business, Fluck said.
"It was an egregious assault," Fluck said. "He beat her up pretty bad."

The victim was unknown to her attacker and apparently was picked at random, Fluck said.

Anderson has been in the Ocean County Jail since Feb. 9 on charges of terroristic threats against another woman. Anderson's bail in that case is $25,000. His bail in the July incident is $300,000. Anderson has a long history of involvement with the criminal justice system.

His history includes a 3 year prison sentence for charges of terroristic threats and assault in 1997, with 2 years actually served, and guilty pleas of aggravated assault in 2001 and 2005.

First Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. Deligny said that in 2003, the state mandated DNA collection from all persons convicted of a crime, on probation or parole.
DNA evidence is culled by race and can be so conclusive that it can identify a suspect to be the only person on the planet that will have that particular DNA makeup.

"It can be a very powerful tool" for gaining plea bargains or convictions, Deligny said.