A New Jersey man is accused of indecently assaulting a young woman he was working with, according to Middletown Township police.
In charges filed this month, Middletown Township police allege a manager at the T-Mobile store in the Summit Square Shopping Center indecently assaulted, harassed, provided beer, falsely imprisoned, and was disorderly with a female employee in April.
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On Friday, April 15, Middletown Township police took a report of an incident that allegedly happened in the afternoon and evening prior at the T-Mobile store.
The 20-year-old female store employee reported that a new manager – Tirso Alberto Lantigua, 47, of Belleville, New Jersey – met her at the business. She stated the shift began politely and the manager even went to a nearby store to get cookies. He also allowed the young employee to vent to him, police said.
As the shift went on, Lantigua went to a store and grabbed beer, suggesting the two drink it at the store, police said.
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While the 20-year-old woman was in the bathroom, Lantigua asked for a hug. She hugged the manager, their faces touched, and he pushed himself against her while kissing her against her will, police said.
The young woman reportedly told the manager she was in a relationship and he kept pushing her against the wall and started smelling her. He grabbed her buttock and forced his crotch against her, police said.
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The woman relayed to police that she made up an excuse that she was looking for speakers to get away from Lantigua, according to court papers.
Lantigua reportedly kept going to the bathroom and making advances on her, went in for another kiss, and grabbed her body while he rubbed his crotch against her, police said.
The woman stated she told Lantigua she didn’t want to cheat on her boyfriend, police said.
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Another T-Mobile employee checked on the young woman and she then stayed in the back room until Lantigua left, police said.
On-call District Judge Daniel Baranoski preliminarily arraigned Lantigua and he was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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