ELIZABETH — A Summit man arrested in January 2010 and charged with attempting to lure a Berkeley Heights girl was sentenced earlier this morning, said Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.
Elio Pintado, 38, was arrested on Jan. 7, 2010 near a Berkeley Heights elementary school, one day after he tried to lure a 9-year-old girl into his car, according to the investigation. He was later charged with the sexual assault of a 7-year-old in a bathroom stall at a movie theater in West Nyack, N.Y. mall.
In October 2010, Pintado pled guilty to second degree luring and third degree theft by deception, said Assistant Prosecutor Scott Peterson who prosecuted the case. The theft charge comes from a stolen checkbook that Pintado had taken from a family friend and used to cash several checks.
Before sentencing was carried out in New Jersey, Pintado was extradited to New York state where he was prosecuted by Rockland County authorities. Following the conclusion of the New York state case, Pintado was returned to Union County to be sentenced.
This morning Union County Superior Court Judge William A. Daniel sentenced Pintado to three years in state prison on the New Jersey charges. Under the terms of the sentencing Pintado is required to register under Megan’s Law and will be placed on parole supervision for life following his release, said Peterson.
