LOS ANGELES - A lengthy lawsuit against Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and four sheriff's deputies details allegations of civil rights violations including unlawful arrest, retaliation and several more.
The complaint was filed by plaintiff Jessy Duenas Hernandez on April 9 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court and was removed to federal court on May 10.
The defendants include Deputy Vilanova, Deputy Sandoval, Deputy Raul Alvarez and Deputy German Zambrano.
According to the complaint, the deputies came to Hernandez's place of work on March 10, 2020 in search of one of Hernandez's coworkers. The plaintiff, a forklift operator for J&J Snack Foods, told the officers he believed the coworker was in the back of the warehouse.
Hernandez is a Hispanic male with tattoos. The coworker in question is also a Hispanic male with tattoos. As a result, the plaintiff says the deputies accused him of lying and grabbed him with intent to detain him.
When Hernandez attempted to record the encounter, the officers allegedly took his phone from him and turned off the recording, repeatedly demanding that Hernandez admit to being Enrique Garcia, which he was not.
Hernandez eventually was able to produce identification proving he was not Enrique Garcia.
Three days later, Hernandez was allegedly violently arrested at gunpoint in retaliation for the event on March 10.
The charges against the deputies including multiple First, Fourth and Fourteenth amendment violations.
Hernandez is represented by Windsor Troy of Los Angeles.