A woman who was assaulted and sexually assaulted while walking the canals of Venice in April has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, accusing the government of failing in its duty to ensure the safety of the streets and protect its citizens. .
Mary Klein, 55, who suffered a savage beating that left her missing teeth and a blood clot in her brain, was attacked around 10:30 p.m. on April 6 while walking in the upscale Verdun neighborhood Another woman, Sarah Alden, 53, was also attacked that night and later died.
Police stopped later Anthony Francisco Jones, 29; he was charged with two counts of forcible rape, murder, attempted murder, mayhem, torture and sodomy by use of force. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Times does not normally identify sexual assault victims, but Klein came forward share his storysaying people should take this as a wake-up call: more social services are needed for people with mental illness and more police protection for everyone.
“This is why all of these crimes are happening: we are ignoring the extreme mental health crisis on our streets,” she said this summer.
In filing her complaint, Klein said she was trying to make the point that the government needs to do more to protect its citizens. The attack on her, she said, made her an activist for public safety.
Los Angeles city officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Klein filmed herself Friday walking to Los Angeles City Hall to submit her claim, speaking to the camera as government buildings loomed behind her. A claim against the city can be a precursor to a lawsuit.
“There is a dereliction of government duty in Los Angeles, California,” she says in her video. “A failure to protect its citizens from criminals and also to properly fund the police. »
“I have permanent damage to my jaw, brain and blood clotting in my brain, from a passenger who attacked me on an unguarded street in Venice,” she said. The street, she said, “was dark, unlit, a public street where many incidents of violent crime and murder have taken place, and still absolutely no police presence on the street.”
“It’s not the police’s fault,” she said. “These are the people who fund the police.”
In an interview, she said she appreciated Los Angeles officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, the City Council and the Los Angeles Police Department. She said she supports Bass’s goal of expanding the LAPD by 1,000 officers.
“It’s not about City Hall,” she said. “I see them doing a lot of work to help the community.” But the government as a whole must do more, she added.
