A harrowing case of harassment has led to a three-year civil restraining order against a former employee who tormented his ex-boss's widow. On August 26, 2024, Patty Wondries filed a complaint in the Los Angeles County Superior Court against Barry M. Wishengrad, seeking protection from ongoing harassment.
The court documents reveal that Wishengrad sent hateful text messages to Patty’s husband, Paul Wondries, while he was on his deathbed at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. The harassment did not stop there; on the day Paul died, Wishengrad sent Patty a text message celebrating Paul's death and expressing joy at the prospect of her own demise. To further traumatize her, he arranged for a dozen black roses to be delivered to her home. The trial court found clear and convincing evidence that these actions constituted harassment and ruled that Wishengrad’s behavior would not cease without judicial intervention.
Patty's request for a Civil Harassment Restraining Order was filed on May 19, 2023. She recounted how her late husband had discovered unethical business practices by Wishengrad, leading to his termination and subsequent criminal complaints. This animosity escalated into a bitter legal battle that concluded in arbitration in 2016 but left lingering resentment. Beginning March 1, 2023, as Paul lay gravely ill, Wishengrad bombarded him with vile text messages such as "The gates of HELL are open and waiting for you!" These messages were shared with Patty during Paul's final days.
After Paul's death on May 4, 2023, Patty received another disturbing message from Wishengrad: "so very satisfied with your loss...the only thing that could have made it better was if you had painfully died with him." A week later, she found a box of black roses on her porch—a final act of intimidation that led her to seek police intervention.
Wishengrad admitted to sending the texts and claimed the roses were sent by a group of former employees mistreated by the Wondries family. He justified his actions as emotional catharsis but insisted he would no longer contact Patty now that Paul was dead. However, during the court hearing, he showed no remorse and described sending the roses as an "exclamation point" to his animosity towards both Paul and Patty.
Despite his claims of no further intent to harass Patty, the court found substantial evidence suggesting otherwise. His testimony revealed deep-seated anger towards both Paul and Patty Wondries. The court concluded that without judicial intervention, Wishengrad's harassment would likely continue.
The judgment affirmed by Judge Timothy Martella grants Patty Wondries peace from further torment through a three-year restraining order against Barry M. Wishengrad. Representing the plaintiff was Thomas J. Nolan from Law Offices of Thomas J. Nolan while Timothy M. Kowal from Kowal Law Group represented the defendant.