Two men arrested after one touched a woman inappropriately while she was outside a business charging her cell phone and the other stole the phone

Manuel Josue, booked with simple robbery in Chalmette

Armado Francisco, booked with sexual battery in Chalmette

Two men were arrested after one touched a woman inappropriately while she was outside a Chalmette business charging her cell phone and the other stole the phone, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Armado Francisco, 20, booked with misdemeanor sexual battery, and Manuel Josue Suyy Ajqui, 23, booked with simple robbery, were arrested about 3:30 a.m. Sept.11 after an incident that happened minutes earlier in the 300 block of East Judge Perez Drive, the sheriff said. Neither gave an address when arrested.

A driver passing by the scene called the Sheriff’s Office and reported seeing two men harassing a woman outside a closed business, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

When deputies arrived and spoke to the victim she said she was charging her personal cell phone on an exterior outlet of a business when the men approached and began trying to lure her over to a residence.

The man later identified as Francisco then began touching her inappropriately, putting a hand over her clothing and ignoring her protests for him to stop, she said.

At the same time, the other man removed her cell phone from a pocket where she had placed it and ran away with it, the sheriff said.

Francisco stayed on the scene and continued to touch her, the victim said, until the one who ran with the cell phone returned a minute or so later and handed it back to her, disassembled.

Afterward, she said, both men fled west-bound on East Judge Perez Drive and she described them and their clothing to officers.

Deputies searched the area and found two men matching the descriptions she gave, who were at a gasoline station at Paris Road and Judge Perez Drive.

The woman was brought to that location and identified the men involved, the sheriff said, and they were arrested.

Both Francisco and Josue are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bonds set at $12,500 each.