LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — A lawsuit says a California city and a county drowned people at a homeless encampment.
The Estate of Anthony Ray Lopez, Sr., the Estate of Madeline Velasquez and others filed a complaint Nov. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the City of Ontario, San Bernardino County and others, alleging negligence, wrongful death and other claims.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint, on Nov. 8, 2022, the decedent Lopez and other plaintiffs were living in a storm drain on East 4th Street in San Bernardino County after a record-breaking storm that brought torrential rains and flooding to the area.
They claim that the defendants' employees opened flood gates in order to permit water to travel to the storm drain where the plaintiffs were present. The plaintiffs further allege the defendants were aware that the plaintiffs were present in the storm drain and that 10 people were swept away by the water, which caused plaintiffs Lopez, Velasquez and others to drown.
They allege the defendants' employees failed to properly operate the flood control system and maintain the basins, storm drains and other water reservoirs.
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Humberto Guizar of The Law Offices of Humberto Guizar in Montebello and Christian Contreras of The Law Offices of Christian Contreras in Los Angeles.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 5:23-CV-02304-SSS-SP