LOS ANGELES — Two Los Angeles County men are suing El Monte law enforcement officials, alleging deprivation of due process, battery and excessive force.
Paul Menjivar and Alex Gonzalez filed a complaint Feb. 26 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the city of El Monte, police detective Brian Glick and Does 1-10, alleging they falsely accused the plaintiffs of grand auto theft. .
According to the complaint, on May 4, 2017, Menjivar and Gonzalez were wrongly accused of possession of a stolen vehicle, grand theft auto and running a “chop shop,” despite proof of legal ownership and confession of a third-party seller to the crime of reselling the vehicle that already had been purchased by the plaintiffs.
Menjivar and Gonzalez say they have suffered damages, including loss of income, criminal defense expenses, and pain and suffering from being handcuffed, and were deprived of their interests protected by the laws of the United States as a result of the malicious conduct of the defendants.
The plaintiffs allege the defendants failed to check for tightness of the handcuffs used on the plaintiffs, and failed to adequately investigate or discipline peace officers.
Menjivar and Gonzalez seek trial by jury, special and general damages exceeding $1 million, punitive damages, costs of suit and attorney fees, plus all further relief the court deems just. They are represented by attorney Cameron Sehat of The Sehat Law Firm PLC in Irvine.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 18-cv-1574