Photo: Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office / Courtesy
Marcelo Vélez, vice president engineer in a department at Columbia University in NYC, was arrested and faces charges of child sexual assault in New Jersey.
According to prosecutors, Vélez is accused of participating in sexual acts with a minor of 13 years inside his home in Woodcliff Lake. It was not reported whether there is a family relationship between the accused and the alleged victim.
Police were notified of the alleged crimes on Sunday and, following an investigation, Vélez was arrested in home on Monday. He was then charged with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a minor, among other charges.
According to the Columbia University website, Vélez is the vice president of development for Manhattanville and oversees the design and construction of the West Harlem campus expansion. “Over the years, he has managed, supervised or otherwise presided over more than a billion dollars in capital construction. ”
Columbia University did not immediately respond to request for comment on the arrest. Velez was sent to the Bergen County Jail until his first court appearance in Hackensack, detailed Pix 11.
