By ALYSSA DANDREA
Monitor staff
The owner of NY Smoke and Vape is accused of sexually assaulting a customer at his Loudon Road store Sunday.
Virender Yadav, 61, of Salem, Mass., is charged with three counts of misdemeanor sexual assault and two counts of simple assault. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon.
Concord police said a woman reported Sunday that she was the victim of a sexual assault while shopping at the store at 132 Loudon Road, a small strip mall near Keach Park. She accused Yadav of repeatedly hugging her, groping her and trying to kiss her, police said.
“The victim was able to leave the store and report the incident to police,” Concord police Lt. Sean Ford said in a statement Wednesday.
Police said they reviewed video surveillance footage from the store as part of their investigation.
Yadav was released on $4,000 personal recognizance. He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 9 in Concord’s district court.
The investigation remains open. Police ask anyone with information to contact police at 225-8600 or the Concord Regional Crimeline at 226-3100.