Woman Sues Fired Calif. Officer Over Alleged Sexual Assault
One of a parade of women and girls who have accused former Seaside police officer Salvador Reynaga of sexual assault has filed a lawsuit against him, the department and the city of Seaside.
"Jane Doe" alleges that Reynaga took her to a deserted area of Fort Ord in his patrol car and touched her sexually while his service weapon was propped between his legs. She is seeking unspecified general and punitive damages for sexual battery, assault, gender violence and civil rights violations.
City Attorney Don Freeman was unavailable for comment Tuesday afternoon. His office said it had not yet been served with the lawsuit.
According to court records, the plaintiff, who is older than 18, was the first to report being assaulted by Reynaga. After his arrest and criminal charges were reported in March, five more females, two of them juveniles, reported similar attacks.
Reynaga was initially on paid administrative leave from the department but has since been terminated. His trial is set for Jan. 23, with a pretrial hearing slated for Tuesday.
Because Reynaga waived his right to a probable-cause preliminary hearing, few details have been released in the case until now.
In the lawsuit filed Nov. 30 by Monterey attorney John Coniglio, Jane Doe alleges Reynaga arrested her on unspecified charges Feb. 24. On the way to the police station, she states, the officer stopped his patrol car four times and searched her without justification, touching her breasts and waistline.
The next day, Reynaga, armed and wearing his uniform, told her she was going to participate in an ongoing police investigation. She alleges he bought her dinner, picked her up at a motel and drove her to a remote area of Fort Ord.
Still in uniform and with his firearm between his legs, the lawsuit claims, Reynaga began to show her naked pictures of herself that he had copied to his cellphone. He told her he had destroyed Seaside Police Department's incriminating evidence against her, including video recordings, and wanted to have sex with her.
According to the lawsuit, Reynaga then exposed himself, forced the tearful woman to touch him, and touched her against her will. The woman forcibly removed his hand and demanded he take her home, which he refused to do for 20 minutes, it alleges.
The lawsuit names Reynaga personally and in his official capacity. With the exception of the gender violence claim, it also names the city and the department for allegedly failing to properly screen, train and supervise its officer.
Virginia Hennessey can be reached at 753-6751 or [email protected] .
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