City man charged with indecency

Alleged incident occurred in crowded city bar

STAMFORD — City police say after a lengthy investigation that included a DNA analysis, they arrested a city man for allegedly ejaculating on a young woman in a crowded Bedford Street bar last November.

According to Lt. Tom Scanlon, of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the incident occurred at the popular Hudson Social on the Saturday night before Thanksgiving.

The establishment that night was “packed,” police said, according to a video obtained from inside.

A young woman, who was standing with some friends at the edge of the dance floor felt someone rubbing up against her buttocks, police said.

When she turned around she spotted a man right behind her with his penis out, police said.

That woman that night approached two police officers and to report the alleged incident. The next morning at 8 a.m. she went to police headquarters with the clothing she was wearing the night before as evidence of what happened police said.

Police said they found video of the incident from a surveillance camera inside the bar.

After the woman turned the man walked out of the bar and north on Bedford Street, police said.

Police went to the club and interviewed employees, but were unable to identify the suspect.

On Dec. 7, Scanlon said the officers working the case, including Damien Rosa, led by Sgt. Sean Boeger, caught a break when someone at the club called to say the suspect was back.

Patrol officers responded to the bar and found Bouchaib Gharrida, 53, who was identified as the suspect.

Police then obtained a warrant for his DNA, which was executed soon after, and a swab of his DNA was obtained, police said. The sample, along with the clothing evidence was then sent to the state Forensic Science Laboratory in Meriden.

Scanlon said the lab matched Gharrida’s DNA to the semen found on the woman’s pants.

When Gharrida appeared at police headquarters for an interview, he said through a friend who spoke Arabic that his penis was out when he was dancing on the dance floor and he suddenly ejaculated,

but did not masturbate, according to an arrest warrant, which was obtained earlier this month.

Gharrida, of Rock Spring Road, turned himself over to police and was charged with misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and public indecency and was released after posting a $25,000 court appearance bond, police said.

“This was an unfortunate circumstance,” said his attorney Rashmi Patel. “We are looking into all the allegations and we are asking the public not to prejudge these circumstances from the police report.”