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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Insurance Adjusters on Holiday …

(CN) - Insurance adjusters on holiday assaulted a woman who tried to stop them from videotaping a drunk woman dancing on a stripper pole on their bus trip to Southern California's wine country, the woman claims in court.

Christina Garnica sued three people and Tribal First, in Riverside, Calif. Superior Court. The individual defendants are Erica Brown, her husband Kevin Brown, and Adolfo Lopez.

Garnica claims that defendant Lopez rented the bus for the March 24 trip.

The insurance adjusters met at the Pechanga Casino, south of Temecula, for their tour of Wine Country.

"The guests were to be transported by a chartered bus that included a 'stripper pole,' wine, spirits, food and music," the complaint states.

During the tour, "much alcohol was consumed by defendant," Garnica says.

"While on the bus, a young lady began using the stripper pole in a provocative and suggestive manner while under the influence of alcohol," the complaint states. "This young lady began to lift her skirt/dress up to reveal her underwear and also her chest as she was touching herself in a way that caught everyone's attention on the bus. Plaintiff saw that Kevin Brown and Adolfo Lopez were videotaping this with camera phones. Concerned that this young lady would later regret her actions after she became sober, and to try and prevent the dissemination of the videos that were being recorded, plaintiff asserted herself and stood in front of this girl to block the camera views and persuaded the young lady to sit down and stop what she was doing. Plaintiff told the defendants to turn of their cameras and to stop videotaping this young lady.

"Kevin Brown, who also had consumed alcohol, became upset upon plaintiff's actions and said, 'Fuck you bitch.' After the parties departed the bus, Erica Brown and Kevin Brown approached plaintiff as she tried to enter her vehicle to go home. Erica Brown told plaintiff that she is not to talk 'to my fucking husband like that' and defendant then assaulted and battered her about the face and body. It is believed that this battery was videotaped by Adolfo Lopez, according to the witnesses at the scene."

Garnica seeks punitive damages for negligence, assault, battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

She is represented by James Meier, of Santa Ana.

Tribal First is Erica Brown's employer, according to the complaint. It provides insurance to Native American casinos, tribal workers compensation and tribal self-insurance.

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