Philly man pleads guilty in the attempted sex assault of a woman he dragged from a road in South Jersey

A 54-year-old Philadelphia man pleaded guilty Thursday in New Jersey Superior Court to the attempted sexual assault of a woman he dragged from a Mount Laurel roadway in 2019, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

Donald Cramer Jr. will be sentenced to 18 years in state prison in exchange for pleading guilty to first-degree attempted aggravated sexual assault, Coffina said. Cramer’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Mount Holly.

The victim, a Marlton woman in her 50s, was walking along Route 73 on the afternoon of June 6, 2019, when Cramer grabbed her and dragged her into a wooded area near the I-295 northbound exit ramp.

A Burlington County man was driving by and witnessed the abduction. John Bishop stopped his vehicle and rescued the woman, subduing Cramer until police arrived. The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was treated.

Bishop was honored later that month by his employer, Cooper University Health Care. He was described at the time as a resident of Burlington Township who worked in the facilities management department at Cooper’s ambulatory facility in Voorhees.

In a statement Thursday, Coffina said Bishop’s “courageous actions are directly responsible for preventing further and more serious harm to the victim. He saw someone who was in trouble and took immediate action. He has set a fine example for all of us to step forward and help our fellow members whenever we can.”

Cramer has been held at the Burlington County jail since his arrest.