A Democrat politician who once held executive office in Bergen County, while simultaneously serving in law enforcement, is now facing some of the most serious criminal charges imaginable after a grand jury handed down a sweeping indictment last week.
Andrew LaBruno, 44, of Dumont, a former Democrat mayor and current Jersey City police sergeant, has been indicted on multiple felony counts, including official misconduct, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
LaBruno, who previously served as mayor of Dumont, New Jersey from 2020 to 2023 after holding a borough council seat, allegedly initiated contact with a juvenile online before arranging an in-person meeting at the child’s residence in Englewood while the victim’s parents were not home.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case, LaBruno reportedly sprayed an unknown substance into his hand and placed it over the victim’s mouth and nose, causing the minor to become dizzy and cognitively impaired prior to the alleged sexual assault.
Authorities were alerted to the situation after a 911 call from a concerned member of the public. Responding investigators found the juvenile in what court documents described as a state of “cognitive impairment.”
The indictment includes an additional charge of official misconduct, which prosecutors say stems from LaBruno allegedly identifying himself as a police officer during the encounter in an attempt to hinder his own apprehension, according to NJ.com.
Hellbound and Down 