A postal carrier was arrested last week after a Bristol woman told police he entered her home without permission, exposed himself to her, and tried to force her to touch him. She refused, told him she was calling the police, and he left.

The incident took place Friday, Aug. 10, on Duffield Avenue. According to the woman, she had noticed a new postal carrier delivering mail that week. She told police that on Wednesday and Thursday of that week, the man carried the mail to her side kitchen door, even though it was “light mail” that she could have carried from the mailbox.

On Friday, she said, she was on a couch in her living room when she heard the man walk through the side door of the house into the kitchen. She walked into the kitchen and found that he had placed his penis on her kitchen table. She told police the man grabbed her hand and attempted to have her touch his penis.

She said she pulled away and did not touch him, then told him to leave. She told police he left in a post office truck that was parked down the street. She did not call police immediately and noticed the man delivering mail the next day in her neighborhood.

The woman called the Bristol Post Office to report the incident and was told they would launch an internal investigation. They advised her to call Bristol Police, which she did.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, two patrolmen and a sergeant interviewed the woman and launched an investigation. An investigative agent with the U.S. Post Office identified the carrier as Eric J. Shea, 45, of Warwick. When police showed her a photograph of Mr. Shea, she identified him as the man who had entered her home.

Bristol Police issued an arrest warrant, and Warwick Police executed the warrant on Friday, Aug. 17. They picked him up, and Bristol Police took him into custody that day. He was charged with one felony (breaking-and-entering the dwelling of a person over 60) and two misdemeanors, disorderly conduct-indecent exposure and simple assault (with use of the body as a weapon).

He was arraigned at the station by Justice of the Peace Fausto Anguilla and released on $10,000 personal recognizance.

Christine Dugas, a spokewoman for the U.S. Postal Service, confirmed that Mr. Shea has been a Bristol carrier assistant since October of 2017. She said he is still employed but is not currently in a customer-facing role.