Orange County Police Officer Accused of Raping Woman in Her Home
A woman, identified as Jane Doe in court records, has accused Anaheim police officer Carlos Romero of sexually assaulting her in his home in September 2023. According to court records, she claims that Romero obtained her contact information by running her license plate number while she was in a fast food drive through. He admitted this to her on Facebook, where he reached out to her and asked for her phone number.
The woman admits that she gave him her number, but made it clear that she was not interested in him romantically. In spite of that, Romero sent her texts while on duty and even stopped by her residence from time to time. The woman allowed Romero to come over to her home and eventually consented to kissing him. On September 23, 2023, she and the officer kissed, and she consented to him performing oral sex on her.
However, she expressed pain when he digitally penetrated her. At that point, the victim said Romero called her a “brat,” and forced her to have sex with him. According to court documents, “At all times during these events Romero’s gun was on the top cushion of plaintiff’s couch, in full view of plaintiff and within reach of Romero. Plaintiff was terrified and fearful for her life. She just wanted Romero to leave.”
The victim attempted to file charges but was told by the OC District Attorney’s Office that charges would not be filed because they “couldn’t prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” However, Romero was eventually charged this April for “disclosing Department of Motor Vehicle information without authorization” and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The victim, who was denied the justice she deserves, recently filed a lawsuit against the City of Anaheim and several city employees for $10 million in damages. We applaud Jane Doe for coming forward and persisting in bringing light to what is clearly a case of negligence by those who are supposed to protect and serve the public.
Frankly, it’s hard to believe that Jane Doe is Romero’s first and only victim. Furthermore, we believe that the Anaheim Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office must be investigated in terms of what they knew about this officer. That’s why we encourage you to come forward and learn about your legal options if you were sexually assaulted by Carlos Romero. Please contact us today and learn about your rights as a victim of sexual abuse.
$1.93 Million
$2,287,495
$54 Million
$22 Million
$600,000
$965,000
Assaulted By Employee
$1,900,000
$1,975,000
You may have grounds to sue the city of Anaheim if they were negligent in their duty to protect you and other members of the public from sexual assault by Carlos Romero. In pretty much every case we investigate, there is some degree of failure by city officials or members of the PD that can be linked to a police officer’s misconduct.
This case has a lot of disturbing elements that should never be allowed by any law enforcement agency. For example, Romero ran the victim’s license plate not because she was committing an offense, but due to his desire to hit on her. Even when the victim made it clear that she was not interested in him romantically, he continually texted her while he was on duty and stopped by her house.
As for the incident that resulted in the victim being raped, this is a sensitive issue that’s often misunderstood. Jane Doe admitted that she allowed him to kiss her and engage in some level of sexual activity. However, sexual consent is not something that can’t be retracted in the middle of a sex act. If at any point the other person expresses doubt of discomfort, it’s up to you to stop whatever you are doing and make sure that you still have their consent. This is actually a matter of law, although it’s certainly the right to do from a moral and ethical standpoint.
Clearly, Romero did not stop what he was doing. Instead, he called the victim an insulating name and raped her while his gun was out in full view, right within his reach. It’s understandable why the victim allowed him to do what he wanted instead of fighting back. Sadly, these elements probably worked against her when she tried to file charges with the DA’s office.
Unfortunately, the burden of proof is extremely high for a criminal case, and we can see why the District Attorney felt that the act of rape could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the burden of proof is not as stringent in a civil case, and that’s why many victims end up filing a lawsuit. By suing the city, we can investigate what the police knew about Romero’s conduct during his employment with them. Were they told about sexually inappropriate conduct by this officer prior to this incident? Are there allegations of sexual abuse and assault that the department failed to investigate? Did they pressure or intimidate the victim, so they wouldn’t follow through with a legal case?
Such blatant examples of negligence are not unusual when it comes to a police department protecting one of their own. Going after these departments and holding them responsible is essential to ensuring that more women are not raped and left to deal with the trauma of sexual assault for the rest of their lives.
Sexual Assault Lawsuit Case ValuesSexual assault claims typically have values in the 7-figure range, so most of these cases are settled for $1,000,000 and above. However, many issues impact the value of a sexual abuse case, so it doesn’t mean that a lawsuit against the city of Anaheim can’t be settled for under $1,000,000. One notable difference with the assaults committed by Carlos Romero is using one’s position of authority and power to groom, manipulate, and/or force yourself on someone else. This added level of betrayal can increase the amount that would be normally awarded to the victim, and this is another factor that can bring case values within the range of $1,000,000 to $10,000,000.
Estimated Time to Settle a Sexual Abuse LawsuitClaims for sexual abuse filed against police departments and other law enforcement agencies take longer than a standard personal injury claim, which may be settled within 6 months. These cases take between 1 and 2 years on average, and even longer depending on whether your case is tried in court. The chances of your case going to trial is very slim, and we know from experience that 95% of all sexual assault lawsuits are settled, meaning the two sides come to an agreement on how much the victim should be compensated. But the process of negotiating a settlement can take months even for a straightforward accident claim with minor injuries. Considering the damage caused by sexual assault, coupled with the fact that you are suing a government entity, it’s more likely that your claim will take 12 or more months to settle.
In California, there is a deadline of 10 years to sue for sexual assault if you were legally an adult (18 or older) at the time. This is a generous amount of time compared to the statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits, which is 2 years from whenever you sustained the injury / property damage. Nevertheless, there is a definitive limit to how long you have for a lawsuit, so please don’t wait to contact a lawyer with experience in sexual assault incidents involving negligence by a law enforcement agency.
Contact a Sexual Assault LawyerOur goal is simple when it comes to what we do and why we do it: fight for those who are abused by others and ensure that they are fully compensated for their harm and suffering. We understand the agony that victims go through when they are sexually assaulted and how difficult it is to obtain justice when the negligent party is a law enforcement agency.
Our team of sexual abuse lawyers have decades of litigation experience on behalf of sexual assault victims. Many of our cases involve negligence by public entities, like police departments, Sherriff’s Departments, school districts, and state agencies. We are more than ready to represent your interests and bring you every penny you deserve from a police officer sexual assault lawsuit.
At no point will you be responsible for the cost of legal fees, which are paid for by the defendant as long as we secure a settlement or verdict in your favor. Our clients are also protected by the Zero Fee Guarantee, meaning if we don’t secure payment on your behalf, you owe us absolutely nothing.
Contact us today and schedule a free, confidential case review with a police department sexual misconduct lawsuit attorney.
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