Shawn Connolly, a 37-year-old Asbury Park resident, was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on Tuesday for breaking into an Asbury Park home, robbing a couple at knifepoint, and sexually assaulting a woman in her bedroom.
Connolly’s crimes occurred in the early morning hours of September 14, 2021. He broke into the home through a kitchen window and confronted the sleeping couple in their bedroom, threatening them with a knife and demanding valuables.
While Connolly ordered the male victim to leave the bedroom and retrieve cash, he sexually assaulted the female victim. The male victim used this opportunity to dial 911 and leave the line open, which assisted responding police officers in locating Connolly and recovering the stolen items from his pockets.
Connolly was indicted in November 2021 and convicted in September 2022 after a two-week jury trial. The exact items stolen during the robbery have not been disclosed by officials. The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office released a statement detailing Connolly’s conviction and the sentence imposed by the court.
