Attorneys for a young Black woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted from behind by an employee while shopping at a Trader Joe’s store in 2024 have submitted new court papers correcting the name of the manager as well as the location where they say the attack happened.
The woman alleges that the Trader Joe’s worker told her that he liked Black girls. Her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed on Feb. 9 alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, assault, battery, violations of the Civil and Business and Professions codes and violation of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act. She seeks millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages.
The plaintiff’s lawyers filed court papers this week with Judge Jerrold Abeles alleging that the manager at the time was Michael Rainer. The original court papers had named another individual with the first name Michael who had never managed the Encino store and who also had left the company in January 2021, according to his sworn declaration.
The alleged assailant, previously identified as Patrick “Doe,” was named in the plaintiff’s court papers filed on Monday as Patrick Moya. In addition, the woman’s lawyers had earlier filed pleadings stating that they allege their client was abused at the Encino store and not at the Chatsworth location as originally written.
According to her suit, the woman was patronizing the Burbank Boulevard store on Feb. 10, 2024, when Moya attacked her without warning from behind, put his hands on her waist, kissed her and whispered on one ear, ”You look beautiful Thursday,” the suit states.
“Plaintiff became fearful he would continue to forcibly touch her as he then continued to talk about her as a black girl sex object, stating that he liked Black girls, that Black girls like aggressive men, that he liked to be sexually aggressive and that he wanted to see her without her clothing on,” according to the complaint.
Moya commented on the plaintiff’s clothing and stated that she should “get naked,” the suit further states.
The plaintiff was emotionally and physically distressed and in a state of shock, according to the suit, which further alleges the conduct was condoned by the manager.