Sex assault suspects from Bayville, Howell charged in Ocean County

Suspects in two Ocean County sex assault cases await court proceedings, charged within hours of each other as the first week of May ended. A day later, each found himself facing additional related counts.

David Hegyes, 38, of Bayville, is accused of exposing himself and masturbating in view of a woman and her four-year-old granddaughter on May 7 at Mill Creek County Park in Berkeley Township.

The same day, Louis Kuka, 45, of Howell Township, turned himself in to face charges connected to the alleged attack of a woman in her Jackson Township home in which her wrists were bound and her mouth covered with duct tape.

Hegyes was found in the playground area of the park shortly after his accuser called Berkeley Township police, authorities said. No one else at the playground reported seeing the incident, a source told us.

He was charged with lewdness and placed in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River. Followup conversations with the alleged victims led to additional charges of sexual assault and child endangerment on May 8.

Kuka's arrest followed information from the alleged victim of the May 5 incident. She told investigators that Kuka arrived at her house to discuss "a personal issue" before the assault, later taking the tape off her hands and mouth, authorities said

A judge set his bail at $175,000 in full, with Nicole's Law stipulations, after investigators initially failed to find him. He surrendered on May 7 to face counts of aggravated sexual assault, criminal restraint and aggravated assault. His bail was increased to $300,000, authorities said.

Both have undergone their initial court appearances.