Widow Blames Restaurant for Killing

SAN BERNARDINO (CN) - A widow claims in court that an El Toro Grill employee offered her drunk husband a ride home, then beat and burned him to death to rob him of $2,000.

Charity Humble sued El Toro Grill, of Rialto, its employee Lori Ann Whipple, and Gerald Nance, in Superior Court.

Humble claims that her husband, Lafe Humble, "became severely intoxicated" at El Toro on June 17, 2011, and asked for a cab to be called to take him home. Whipple, who had been serving him drinks, said she would take him home, Humble says.

Instead, the widow says, "at some point shortly thereafter Lori Ann Whipple called her friend to help her rob Lafe Humble of approximately $2,000 he was carrying on his person. During the course of the robbery Lafe Humble was severely beaten and set on fire where he ultimately burned to death in his truck."

Humble claims that "Whipple had a significant prior criminal history that was known to her employer El Toro Grill at the time of the incident."

She claims that "Defendants and each of them, negligently, carelessly, inappropriately, recklessly and without cause, killed plaintiff's husband Lafe Humble."

Humble seeks punitive damages for wrongful death and negligence. She is represented by Cory Weck with Welebir, Tierney & Weck, of Redlands.

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