Man Sexually Assaulted Fellow Employee in Darien: PD

DARIEN, CT- A Stamford man was arrested after he sexually grabbed a fellow employee without her consent at a Post Road restaurant, according to police.

The female victim reported the incident to police on April 13 after her shift finished. She said that the man, identified as Jarbas Bandiera, 41, began coming on to her around 1 p.m. the same day and offered to buy her perfume in exchange for a kiss. She declined the offer, according to police.

Around 4 p.m. the woman went down to the basement area of the restaurant to grab her belongings after her shift ended, police said.

Bandiera came down and asked for a goodbye hug and kiss, she told police. She went to give him a "friendly hug" when he grabbed her and began to kiss her aggressively on the neck, police said. She asked to be let go but he hung on to her for two minutes.

Another employee walked by the room and Bandiera let her go.It doesn't appear the other employee saw what was going on.

As the victim went to leave the room Bandiera held her against pipes in the basement and grabbed her buttocks, according to police. Eventually he let her go after she said cameras were nearby and probably caught what was happening. He asked the woman not to say anything or to be mad at him.

She told police the two never had a dating relationship. She worked at the restaurant for about eight months and he was there for about six weeks.

Police interviewed Bandiera who at first said he went to the basement to retrieve business supplies and that he said goodbye to the woman by shaking her hand and giving her a hug with his left arm. He also kissed her with his cheek, police said. 

At first he said he didn't grab the woman's buttocks, but later confessed to it, police said.

He was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and second-degree unlawful restraint. He was held on a $20,000 bond.