Austin Woman Sues Apartment Complex Following Sexual Assault by Intruder
24 Abril 2024 - 10:43AM
Business Wire
Blizzard Greenberg: plaintiff repeatedly asked
apartment complex to fix broken door lock
An Austin-area woman has filed a lawsuit against an apartment
complex where she once lived after she woke to an intruder sexually
assaulting her in her own bedroom.
Evidence indicates the attacker entered the unit through the
back sliding glass door, which had a broken lock that the victim
and her roommate had repeatedly asked apartment management to
repair for more than a year.
The lawsuit says the women asked for a sliding door security bar
to secure the door, but management said the residents would have to
buy it and install it themselves, which is a violation of the Texas
Property Code.
Attorneys at Blizzard Greenberg represent the plaintiff,
identified as M.K. in the lawsuit, against the apartment complex
and property management company.
“Management knew the door lock was not functioning and chose not
to do anything about it,” said trial lawyer Anna Greenberg.
“Instead, they neglected basic repairs, and my client was attacked
by a stranger who was able to easily access her home.”
The complaint details a disturbing case in which M.K. was asleep
in her apartment bedroom when she was awakened by a total stranger
sexually assaulting her in her bed.
M.K. began screaming and was able to fight off the intruder,
kicking him in the chest and throwing a blanket at him. According
to the lawsuit, her roommate heard the commotion and called 911.
The attacker then ran out of the apartment through the back sliding
glass door.
According to Austin Police Department records, 89 burglaries, 81
aggravated assaults, 29 robberies and 4 homicides were committed in
and around this complex in just two years before this assault.
“Apartment complexes have a legal obligation to keep tenants
safe and this complex failed to do so,” said Ms. Greenberg. “If
basic safety procedures had been in place, my client would not have
had her life changed forever by this terrifying incident.”
Following the attack, the victim and her roommate no longer felt
safe and moved out of their apartment. M.K. is now in therapy to
treat panic attacks, nightmares and intense fear resulting from the
assault.
Officers with the Austin Police Department later arrested the
attacker, identified as Octavio Contreras Guzman, who they say was
targeting other women in nearby apartment complexes. He was
apprehended after police set up hidden cameras and caught him
peering into windows.
The case is M.K. v Clear Property Management et al., cause
number 24-002539 in Travis County.
About Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC
Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC is an award-winning national trial firm
with more than 40 years of experience handling complex legal issues
involving pharmaceutical and personal injury cases. For more
information, visit www.blizzardlaw.com.
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Alyssa Woulfe 800-559-4534 Alyssa@androvett.com