What you should know
- The Manhattanville vice president of development at the prestigious and world-renowned Columbia University was arrested on aggravated sexual assault and other charges for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a child under the age of 13 in New Jersey, authorities say.
- Prosecutors said Tuesday that Marcelo Velez, identified on Columbia’s website as his “contact person for all aspects of development, design, and construction” for the university’s 6.8 million-square-foot campus expansion in West Harlem , was arrested at his New Jersey home on Monday after an investigation.
- According to that investigation, Woodcliff Lake police first learned of allegations that Velez, married, 55, had engaged in sexual acts with a minor in Woodcliff Lake on Sunday.
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NEW JERSEY – The Manhattanville vice president of development at Columbia’s prestigious and world-renowned university has been arrested on aggravated sexual assault and other charges for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a child under the age of 13 in New Jersey, authorities say.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that Marcelo Velez, identified on Columbia’s website as his “contact person for all aspects of development, design, and construction” for the university’s 6.8 million-square-foot campus expansion in West Harlem , was arrested at his New Jersey home on Monday after an investigation.
According to that investigation, Woodcliff Lake police first learned of allegations that Velez, married, 55, had engaged in sexual acts with a minor in Woodcliff Lake on Sunday. The Bergen County prosecutor’s office was called in to assist with that investigation and now alleges that the abuse took place at Velez’s home.
Details about his relationship with the boy were unclear, nor was information about an attorney for him immediately available. Velez was sent to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance on charges that include sexual assault for sexual contact and endangering a minor, in addition to the main charge.
Columbia University did not immediately return News 4’s call or email seeking comment on his arrest.
According to the faculty website, Velez has been at the university since 1995 and “held various positions with increasing responsibilities.” He has been with Columbia’s Manhattanville Development Group since 2007, first as Associate Vice President of Construction and Project Management. Velez took over as vice president in 2016 and has “managed, supervised or presided over more than $ 1 billion in capital construction” over the years, his biography says.
A licensed professional engineer in New York State, Velez holds a BS in civil engineering from Rutgers University and a BA in business from Columbia, where he currently serves on the advisory board of the ACE Mentoring Program, the new master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education in construction management, and as vice chair of the Greater New York Construction User Council, according to the university’s website.
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