His preliminary hearing was held earlier that day before District Judge Jacob Hammond, and all charges were reserved for trial. Contes is now free after paying a $100,000 bail.
The incident started shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2024, when a South Whitehall Township police officer noticed a car parked in the grass at Wehr Mill and Old Sentry roads, in a peaceful residential neighborhood with minimal traffic.
Contes allegedly told the officer that the woman in his car was vomiting and that he had stopped to help. He claimed they had been at a pub with others, and he was bringing her home when she “fell out” of the car.
According to authorities, the woman seemed to be quite inebriated and required medical attention. A paramedic on the scene saw that Contes’ zipper was down, which was later confirmed by body camera evidence.
A witness informed detectives that the woman’s residence was not in the direction Contes was heading. Police claimed the vehicle was discovered more than seven miles from the pub and more than four miles from her home.
At the hospital, the woman’s clothing was covered in abrasions, grass, and filth. She couldn’t remember what had transpired, according to officials.
Investigators decided that woman was sexually assaulted. The DA’s office stated that Contes’ DNA matched a profile discovered during the forensic examination.
Contes, like all criminal defendants, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
