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Fans File Suit Against Dodgers With Santa Clarita Law Firm, Allege Assaults By Security

On Tuesday, three lawsuits were filed against the Los Angeles Dodgers by a Valencia-based law firm diDonato relating to several alleged beatings of fans by the Dodgers’ security team.

Three lawsuits were filed this week by several fans who allege they were beaten by the L.A. Dodgers’ security force in 2021.

“The Los Angeles Superior Court complaints allege assault, battery, false imprisonment, violation of civil rights and emotional distress,” stated Fox 11 this week. “All the suits seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.”

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The lawsuit was filed by Santa Clarita law firm diDonato Law Center, with the legal team referencing ‘abuse’ and ‘racial profiling’ in their prepared statement, according to Fox 11.

“Fans must be free from harassment by the security force, which is comprised of both sworn and non-sworn personnel,” the plaintiffs’ attorney Peter diDonato said. “The start of a new baseball season provides an excellent opportunity to reflect and make policy changes to prevent abuse and racial profiling of the Dodgers’ loyal fans.”

Plaintiffs Salvador and Priscilla Mota in one of the three suits said they attended the Dodger game on Aug. 17 of 2021. The couple was reportedly about to drive out of one of the Dodger Stadium parking lots when security team members told Salvador Mota to get out of his car, the suit states.

“Priscilla watched in horror as sworn and non-sworn security attacked her husband without reason or provocation,” the suit reads. Salvador Mota was later handcuffed and sent to a hospital for severe eye, facial, leg and shoulder injuries, according to their suit.

“The answer is not more security, but smarter security, including transparency with fans and the public, and discipline of security personnel when necessary to maintain confidence in the system,” diDonato said.

Karen Osorio, a plaintiff in the second suit, alleges that her husband, daughter and grandson attended a game on Sept. 14. Osorio alleges that she saw a Los Angeles Police Department Dodgers employee grab cell phones from her daughter, the daughter’s friend and her grandson, then start to accuse Osorio’s daughter of illegal activities, the suit states.

When she asked about the security team’s actions toward her daughter, the guards allegedly surrounded and attacked her as her companions watched, the suit states, then temporarily handcuffing and jailing her. She allegedly suffered facial, leg and chest injuries, according to the suit.

In the third suit, Adam and Monica Villa, with their daughter, attended the Oct. 3 game when guards approached Adam Villa, complaining about his “enthusiastic language,” the suit alleges.

Adam Villa agreed to stop using the same language, but then he was then allegedly surrounded and attacked by six guards who were said to have pulled out much of his hair, the suit reads. Villa allegedly suffered neck, head and back injuries, and his wife was allegedly hurt while trying to prevent the alleged attack, the suit states.

One Dodger spokesman said the organization does not comment on ongoing litigation, according to Fox 11.


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Fans File Suit Against Dodgers With Santa Clarita Law Firm, Allege Assaults By Security

One comment

  1. This is the LAPD that shot a baby dead in 2005… and were cleared of any wrongdoing. Shot two women delivering papers in the back in 2014… cleared of any wrongdoing. Shot dead a teenage girl in a store dressing room last year… apparently gonna get off scot free on that one too. What happens when you give any human that much power and take away all accountability?

    I have nothing but respect for our local LASD. I could not ask for more from a police department. Especially because they seem to have a strict policy of “don’t shoot innocent bystanders.”

    But when it comes to the LAPD, the events described in this article don’t surprise me at all. There was a time when an honest, law-abiding citizen had nothing to fear from the police. I still feel that way in Santa Clarita. But not in Los Angeles.

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About Tim Smith

Tim was raised in Santa Clarita and attended COC before transferring to UC Berkeley in 2017. After getting his B.A. in political science, Tim joined KHTS as a News Intern in 2021.