A 37-year-old Rutherford man, Victor M. Torres, was arrested in connection with an alleged groping at a Lyndhurst ShopRite on Sept. 29, according to Paramus Daily Voice. The report says investigators allege Torres approached a shopper near the courtesy counter with a claim that a bug was on her back, then touched her buttocks without consent. Torres faces charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and fourth-degree lewdness. The allegations have not been established in court.
What the reported evidence does—and does not—show
Daily Voice reported that store surveillance showed a blue Lexus leaving around the time of the incident, and that the car was registered to Torres. The report also said regional automated license-plate-reader records showed the Lexus traveling toward Lyndhurst shortly before 2 p.m. Those details describe vehicle evidence investigators reportedly used; on their own, they do not establish who was driving or resolve the allegation.
The same report said Paterson and East Rutherford police assisted in identifying Torres after a separate February 2025 incident in East Rutherford that allegedly involved a similar bug-distraction tactic. That is a distinct allegation, not proof in the Lyndhurst case. These two reported incidents also do not establish a broader trend.
Pretrial decisions and registration are separate questions
Daily Voice reported that Torres was remanded to Bergen County Jail for a Public Safety Assessment. A New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division form describes the pretrial-detention question as whether bail, other conditions or a combination could reasonably assure a defendant’s court appearance, protect safety and prevent obstruction of justice. The form explains the general standard; it does not establish what a judge decided in Torres’s case.
The report also referenced a 2025 lewdness charge involving a child under 13, but did not detail its outcome. A prior charge is not a finding of guilt. Separately, the New Jersey State Police says Megan’s Law registration applies to people convicted, adjudicated delinquent or found not guilty by reason of insanity for a sex offense defined by statute. That general rule does not establish that registration applies to Torres or to the allegations in this case.
