Download a copy of the complaint here.
TAMPA, Fla. – Attorneys for a Frontier Airlines flight attendant, who was sexually assaulted by a hotel employee at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Colorado Springs, Colorado, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tampa Wednesday and are seeking witnesses with additional information.
According to the complaint, Latoyia Jones, a Pasco County, Florida resident and flight attendant employed by Frontier Airlines, checked into the DoubleTree by Hilton in Colorado Springs on June 1, 2018. The hotel had a contract with Frontier Airlines and is one of the hotels provided to employees with overnight layovers.
Upon checking into her room, Jones noticed the toilet in her room was malfunctioning and called the front desk for assistance. At that point, Eliazar Wusstig Mendoza, a 57-year-old who was born in Guam and maintenance employee with the hotel, responded to the room to make the repair. After making the repair, Mendoza forced himself upon Jones and committed sexual assault and battery, the complaint alleges.
Mendoza was subsequently arrested by Colorado Springs Police Department and charged with unlawful sexual assault. According to the complaint, Mendoza committed a sexual assault, battery, false imprisonment and sexual battery on Jones.
In May of 2019, Mendoza pled guilty and was convicted of unlawful sexual assault in the Fourth Judicial District of El Paso County, Colorado.
The lawsuit alleges DoubleTree by Hilton should have been aware of prior incidents occurring at other hotels committed by Mendoza, and he was taking psychiatric medication.
“It is concerning how a major hotel chain failed to implement reasonable safety measures, which could have foreseeably prevented this type of incident from occurring. Ms. Jones was staying in this room by herself as a flight attendant on a layover, which was known or easily discoverable by the hotel staff,” said Josh Drechsel, principal at Josh Firm P.A., a St. Petersburg based personal injury law firm, and the attorney representing the victim. “We are exploring Mendoza’s background, which indicates questionable decision-making and incidents with prior employers, matters which should have been explored before his hire and during his supervision while working with DoubleTree. If anyone experienced an apprehensive interaction with Mendoza at any time, or any other employee for that matter while staying at this hotel chain, we encourage them to come forward.”
Anyone with information is requested to email info@joshfirm.com
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