Stamford deli worker arrested for indecency

Stamford police arrested 43-year-old Miguel Romero-Leiva on July 29 after he allegedly exposed himself to a woman at a High Ridge Road commercial plaza. Stamford police arrested 43-year-old Miguel Romero-Leiva on July 29 after he allegedly exposed himself to a woman at a High Ridge Road commercial plaza. Photo: Submitted Photo / Stamford Police Department Photo: Submitted Photo / Stamford Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Stamford deli worker arrested for indecency 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD - A High Ridge Road deli worker took out more than the trash Thursday, according to a criminal complaint from a woman working in an adjoining business.

The woman, who works in a hair salon in the same complex as the restaurant, told officers that 39-year-old Miguel Romero-Leiva began masturbating in front of her as she took a cigarette break in the rear of the strip mall around 1 p.m., police said.

“She said he walked by her, blew her a kiss and mouthed to her ‘hey mama,’ ” said police Sgt. Kelly Connelly. Once Romero-Leiva’s hands were unburdened by the trash he was taking out, he apparently found another use for them. “As she looked over at him, she could see the head of his penis was exposed. She continued to look at him, he was wearing black apron, he had pulled it to the side, he began to stroke it with both hands.”

Connelly said Romero-Leiva, of Bridgeport, paused after the woman protested, but “when he saw that nobody was coming, he continued masturbating.” The woman said she told the deli owner, who apologized and promised to handle the matter.

But the woman was still upset later in the day, and reported the matter to police, who went to A&S Fine Foods, where Romero-Leiva “happened to be behind the counter” and the woman “positively identified him as the male that had been masturbating,” Connelly said.

“When they spoke to him, he said that he was just in the rear of the plaza, taking a piss and smoking a cigarette,” she said. “He said it was too busy inside to use the bathroom and that’s why he came outside to pee.”

Police charged Romero-Leiva with one count each of public indecency and second-degree breach of peace and issued him a $1,000 bond and an Aug. 12 court date.

alex.gecan@scni.com; (203) 964-2263; @stunati0201