A Connecticut furniture shop owner convinced a woman to go into the basement of his store to “test” a mattress — and then he sexually assaulted her down there, police said.
Hennawi Salem, owner of Salem Furniture in Bridgeport, was busted Tuesday for allegedly “luring a female customer” to his Porter Street business and asking her to “lay down” to try out the merchandise, Bridgeport police said.
Salem then told the woman the mattress was free before sexually assaulting her, police said.
Salem was taken into custody at his business on a warrant for fourth-degree sexual assault.
The allegedly lecherous owner had been previously arrested in September on charges of third-degree sexual assault, second-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a child after three female victims made “similar accusations,” police said.
Salem was released earlier on $60,000 bond on those charges, according to court records cited by the Connecticut Post. The case is still pending and he had not yet entered a plea, the newspaper reported.
Salem posted $70,000 bond following his arrest Tuesday, a spokesman for Bridgeport police told The Post.
Calls to Salem’s furniture store went unanswered Wednesday afternoon and messages seeking comment regarding the charges were not immediately returned. It’s unclear if Salem had hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
The store’s website and Facebook page, meanwhile, bills it as a place where shoppers can get “low prices and great quality” along with fast, reliable service.
“We never let anyone leave our store with a smile on their face,” its website reads.