North Vernon man arrested in assault on store worker

A North Vernon man was arrested Wednesday, accused of sexual battery and other crimes against an employee at a store there.

According to reports from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, a male customer was accused of grabbing a female employee at about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at a store in the 3700 block of North State Road 7. Police report that the man fondled the woman and rubbed against her, before running from the store when a manager confronted him.

Police obtained a description of the suspect from witnesses and store video.

Later in the evening, deputies were called to a disturbance on Wentworth Place where a male was pounding on a front door and yelling. A deputy recognized the man based on the description of the earlier incident. Officers arrested 34-year-old David Parrish on preliminary charges of sexual battery and battery.

Parrish is also accused of drinking a deputy’s beverage without permission and is facing another charge of theft.