'Operation Open Door': 19 accused of using chat apps to lure minors for sex in NJ
From left to right, top to bottom: Brayan Alvarado, Jihaad Brown, Michael Brown, Julio-Cubia-Aviles, Brain Davis, Asif Iqbal, Juan Lopez, Rafael Martinez-Lezama, Jose Martinez-Mejia, Duraikandan Murugan, Nimeshbha Patel, Niraj Patel, Michael Schumach
SOMERVILLE, N.J. - Authorities in New Jersey say they've arrested 19 people on charges of trying to lure minors for sex.
State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson on Thursday will disclose details about the sting called Operation Open Door.
Officials say the suspects used social media and chat apps to arrange to have sex with boys and girls. But instead of minors, officials say the suspects were communicating with police officers posing as children.
Most of the suspects were arrested when they arrived at houses where law enforcement was waiting.
The following 19 men were arrested and remanded to Somerset County Jail pending detention hearings.
Seven were charged with second-degree luring and third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child:
- Brayan Alvarado, 25 of Middlesex, N.J. Alvarado is a volunteer fireman and driver for an electric company.
- Jihaad Brown, 23 of Franklin Park, N.J. Brown is retail salesman.
- Rafael Martinez-Lezama, 37 of New Brunswick, N.J. Martinez-Lezama is a cook at a bagel shop.
- Michael Schumacher, 55 of Somerset, N.J. Schumacher is a self-employed home theater installer.
- Zulfiqer Sekender, 47 of Piscataway, N.J. Sekender is a software engineer.
- Alexander Ulikowski, 20 of Branchburg, N.J. Ulikowski is an assistant manager for a hockey store.
- Adam Zeigler, 34 of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Zeigler works for an amusement park.
Six were charged with second-degree luring, third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree attempted sexual assault:
- Michael Brown, 28 of Edison, N.J. Brown is a mail tester.
- Julio Cubia-Aviles, 27 of West Orange, N.J. Cubia-Aviles is a carpenter.
- Duraikandan Murugan, 40 of Jasper, Indiana Murugan is unemployed.
- Nimeshbha Patel, 48 of Piscataway, N.J. Patel is a retail worker.
- Niraj Patel, 46 of Somerset, N.J. Patel is a printer.
- Conrado Vasquez-Vasquez, 38 of New Brunswick, N.J. Vasquez-Vasquez works at a dry cleaners.
Two were charged with second-degree attempted promotion of prostitution of a child and related offenses:
- Brian Davis, 28 of Somerset, N.J. Davis is a security guard.
- Asif Iqbal, 53 of Mount Holly, N.J. Iqbal is a business owner.
Four were charged with second-degree attempted sexual assault and related offenses:
- Juan Lopez, 42, of Passaic. Lopez is a day laborer.
- Jose Martinez-Mejia, 32, of West New York. Martinez-Mejia is a day laborer.
- Naveen Thangaraj, 36, of Edison. Thangaraj is a system engineer.
- Randal Wise, 42 of Crawford, Indiana Wise is an engineer for a sports television network.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.