A California woman filed a federal lawsuit this week against an Anaheim police officer, accusing him of sexually assaulting her four months after he first noticed her at an In-N-Out restaurant and used her license plate number to contact her.
The woman, identified only as Jane Doe, also accuses Anaheim police officer Carlos Romero of battery and sexual assault in the suit filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California. The city of Anaheim is also named as a defendant.
The woman claims she was subject to unreasonable search and seizure and that she was deprived of her right to due process.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office did not return phone calls Wednesday about whether it had considered filing criminal charges against Romero.
Romero, who has been placed on administrative leave by the Anaheim Police Department, could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and it was was unknown whether he had an attorney.
“We hold our police officers to the highest standards, and our police department thoroughly investigates all matters of employee misconduct,” said Mike Lyster, a spokesperson for the city of Anaheim.
He said officials immediately launched a criminal investigation after being made aware of the alleged incident.
The woman says in the lawsuit that she was at an In-N-Out restaurant in Anaheim on May 19, 2023, when she noticed Romero smiling at her.
The next day, she received a Facebook friend request from Romero, who confirmed through a direct message that he had retrieved her personal information by running her license plate number, according to the lawsuit.
Romero asked for her phone number and the two began messaging, with the woman indicating she didn’t want a romantic relationship, according to the document.
Over the next few months, Romero occasionally sent text messages to her and visited her home while on duty, the lawsuit says.
At some point, the woman consented to kissing Romero at her home but declined his sexual advances, the suit said. On Sept. 25, 2023, Romero asked to visit the woman’s house, to which she agreed, making it clear to him that she didn’t want to have sex, it said.
Romero, who was on duty, dressed in uniform and driving his police vehicle, began kissing the woman and later performed oral sex with her consent, the suit said. But he then pulled his pants down and sexually assaulted her, according to the suit.
The woman repeatedly told Romero “No,” but he continued until she was able to push him off of her, according to the suit. He then grabbed her and forced her to perform oral sex on him, it said.
She “was terrified and fearful for her life,” the lawsuit said. “She just wanted Romero to leave.” His service weapon was within reach on top of a couch, according to the suit.
The woman is seeking at least $10,000,000 in damages. Her attorney, Gregory Peacock, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
