Owner of several bars in Trenton accused of sexual harassment of several employees

Gerald Araya, owner of Dubai Restaurant and Lounge, El Catador Lounge, Mill Hill Saloon and Trenton Social, was charged with sexual assault on Wednesday. (Composite image, mug shot courtesy of Mercer County District Attorney’s Office, photos of building facade screenshot from Google Maps)

TRENTON – The owner of several popular Trenton bars faces serious charges after the county raided three of his establishments Wednesday.

Gerald Araya, 44, of Ewing, is accused of multiple counts of sexual assault involving a job applicant and three former employees, according to the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office.

Araya owns El Catador Lounge and Restaurant, Dubai Lounge, Mill Hill Saloon and Trenton Social. He purchased Mill Hill Saloon and Trenton Social in 2023 as established businesses, both of which have a history in the capital as popular destinations for meetings and events.

Police officers searched the Mill Hill Saloon on South Broad Street on Wednesday and arrested Araya without incident.

They also executed search warrants at two of his other businesses, El Catador and Dubai, both in the 900 block of New York Avenue, as well as Araya’s home in Ewing.

Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said Thursday that a joint investigation with Trenton police, Lawrence Township police and the county resulted in an arrest on five counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of first-degree child abduction, two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

The investigation began last month, according to prosecutors, when a woman applying for a job at the Dubai Lounge was attacked by Araya.

The victim told Trenton investigators that during an interview at the Dubai Lounge, the owner told Araya that he wanted to show her his other bars in the city, so she left Dubai with him.

She went to another bar with him and he made her several drinks and insisted that she drink them because he wanted her to know what she was serving to the customers.

She told investigators that she felt ill after a short time and told Araya that she wanted to go home.

The victim then lost consciousness.

The next thing she remembered was waking up naked in a strange room and being sexually assaulted by Araya, officials said.

The police investigation revealed that the room she woke up in was a motel room in Lawrence Township. According to police, Araya took the victim there and assaulted her while she was physically incapacitated.

During a joint investigation with the MCPO SVU, Trenton Police and Lawrence Township Police, officers then identified three additional victims.

“This investigation was truly a community effort and a perfect example of how successful law enforcement can be when we work together,” Onofri said. “From the lead investigators who worked on this case with tireless dedication from the beginning, to the four brave women who came forward to tell their stories and work with investigators to ensure this offender is taken off the streets, no one can do this alone. We will continue to work with our partners and our communities to make Mercer County safe.”

“First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to the victims of these heinous acts. They are survivors. It took a great deal of courage, faith in our investigators and patience to get to this point,” said Trenton Police Department Director Steve Wilson. “I am grateful to all personnel involved for their tremendous work, especially Trenton Police Department SVU Investigator Lizmary Rivera and Trenton Police Department ABC Unit Investigator Cathiria Colon for their months of tireless hard work and dedication in this investigation.”

“The investigation and subsequent arrest of Gerald Araya is the result of a close partnership and collaboration between the Lawrence Township Police Department, the Trenton Police Department and the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office,” said Lawrence Police Chief Christopher Longo. “The arrest in this case underscores our shared commitment to bringing justice to victims of sexual assault.”

Onofri said all local, state and federal agencies assisted in the investigation and execution of the search warrants, including the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office, the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office Special Investigations Unit, the Mercer County Tactical Response Team, the Ewing, Lawrence Township, Trenton and Homeland Security police departments.

The prosecutor also thanked all agencies and officers involved, “especially Detective Sergio Sanchez, Sergeant Ahmad Mansur, Assistant District Attorney Brett Berman and Assistant District Attorney Alycia Beyrouty, SVU Chief, as well as Lead Detectives Suzanne Girard of the Lawrence Township Police Department and Cathiria Colon and Lizmary Rivera of the Trenton Police Department.”

Araya also owns a trucking company, Jersey Cargo Express LLC, which is listed with the U.S. Department of Transportation as active with eight trucks and drivers. Its mailing address is in the 900 block of New York Avenue in Trenton, the same block as Dubai and El Catador.

Although he has owned these companies for several years, Araya only bought Mill Hill Saloon and Trenton Social last year. According to insiders, he paid significantly more for these companies than they were worth.

Officials said the investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information, including additional victims, should contact the Mercer County SVU at (609) 989-6568 or [email protected].