Latest news with #Encino-based
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bed bugs in Ventura hotel lead to $2-million jury ruling for bitten guests
A bed bug-ridden stay at a Ventura hotel turned into a multimillion-dollar jury payout for two guests who were "massacre[d] from bed bug bites" during their visit, according to court records. A jury on Friday ordered the Shores Inn to pay $2 million to Alvaro Gutierrez and Ramiro Sanchez, in what may be one of the largest known bed bug-related jury awards. "The bed bugs latched onto the Plaintiffs while they slept, sucked their blood until they were gorged, and resisted eradication," according to the complaint. A representative for Shores Inn did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney representing the hotel in the suit also did not respond to a request for comment. According to their complaint, Gutierrez and Sanchez were "exposed to painful and disgusting bed bug infestations," and suffered physical, emotional, and mental anguish as a result of their Feb. 7, 2020, stay at the beachside hotel. "The management was not taking good care of the place," said Brian Virag, attorney for Gutierrez and Sanchez. "Turns out, they had experience with bed bugs at that hotel dating back a long time." Read more: L.A. man scalded by Starbucks drinks is awarded $50 million The hotel, located near the 101 Freeway and just a short walk from Ventura Beach, touts easy parking and proximity to the Ventura Pier and the Ventura Harbor. The complaint, filed in December 2021, alleges the two men rented a room at the hotel and immediately began experiencing bed bug bites. The suit also alleged that management at the hotel must have been aware of bed bug problems because several online reviews on Google and Yelp warned guests about bed bugs at the hotel, located at 1059 South Seaward Ave. in Ventura. Despite knowing about the problem, the suit alleges, management failed to eradicate the pests from the hotel, exposing guests to harm. Gutierrez and Sanchez left the hotel after one night, Virag said, and had to seek medical treatment as a result of the bites. On May 23, a jury awarded Gutierrez $400,000 in damages for past and future pain, disfigurement, grief, and emotional distress as a result of the injuries. Sanchez was awarded $600,000 in damages, according to court records. The jury also awarded $500,000 each to the two men in punitive damages. In 2022, the Disneyland Resort agreed to pay $100,000 to a resort hotel guest in a lawsuit settlement addressing claims she was bitten by bedbugs during a visit in 2018. The following year, a British tourist represented by Virag won a $375,000 award after being attacked by bed bugs during a stay at a Hollywood Hills home. Virag, an Encino-based attorney who has specialized in bed bug cases filed against hotels and apartments, said the $2-million jury award is the largest one he's seen in bed bug-related cases in his career. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Bed bugs in Ventura hotel lead to $2-million jury ruling for bitten guests
A bed bug-ridden stay at a Ventura hotel turned into a multimillion-dollar jury payout for two guests who were 'massacre[d] from bed bug bites' during their visit, according to court records. A jury on Friday ordered the Shores Inn to pay $2 million to Alvaro Gutierrez and Ramiro Sanchez, in what may be one of the largest known bed bug-related jury awards. 'The bed bugs latched onto the Plaintiffs while they slept, sucked their blood until they were gorged, and resisted eradication,' according to the complaint. A representative for Shores Inn did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney representing the hotel in the suit also did not respond to a request for comment. According to their complaint, Gutierrez and Sanchez were 'exposed to painful and disgusting bed bug infestations,' and suffered physical, emotional, and mental anguish as a result of their Feb. 7, 2020, stay at the beachside hotel. 'The management was not taking good care of the place,' said Brian Virag, attorney for Gutierrez and Sanchez. 'Turns out, they had experience with bed bugs at that hotel dating back a long time.' The hotel, located near the 101 Freeway and just a short walk from Ventura Beach, touts easy parking and proximity to the Ventura Pier and the Ventura Harbor. The complaint, filed in December 2021, alleges the two men rented a room at the hotel and immediately began experiencing bed bug bites. The suit also alleged that management at the hotel must have been aware of bed bug problems because several online reviews on Google and Yelp warned guests about bed bugs at the hotel, located at 1059 South Seaward Ave. in Ventura. Despite knowing about the problem, the suit alleges, management failed to eradicate the pests from the hotel, exposing guests to harm. Gutierrez and Sanchez left the hotel after one night, Virag said, and had to seek medical treatment as a result of the bites. On May 23, a jury awarded Gutierrez $400,000 in damages for past and future pain, disfigurement, grief, and emotional distress as a result of the injuries. Sanchez was awarded $600,000 in damages, according to court records. The jury also awarded $500,000 each to the two men in punitive damages. In 2022, the Disneyland Resort agreed to pay $100,000 to a resort hotel guest in a lawsuit settlement addressing claims she was bitten by bedbugs during a visit in 2018. The following year, a British tourist represented by Virag won a $375,000 award after being attacked by bed bugs during a stay at a Hollywood Hills home. Virag, an Encino-based attorney who has specialized in bed bug cases filed against hotels and apartments, said the $2-million jury award is the largest one he's seen in bed bug-related cases in his career.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Thousand Oaks man avoids carjacking attempt while kids were in vehicle, more news
A man in Thousand Oaks reportedly escaped a carjacking attempt while his two young children were in the vehicle on April 29, authorities said. The incident was reported shortly after 3:10 p.m. in the 2000 block of Moss Court, according to Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Rob Davidson. The block is in a residential area on the north side of Avenida De Las Flores, east of Highway 23. The victim told deputies he was approached by three or four male suspects as he got out of his vehicle and was going to the mailbox. The suspects reportedly demanded the car, which had the victim's children inside, Davidson said. The victim pleaded with them not to take the vehicle. The suspects then allegedly robbed the man of his wallet and fled, the captain said. As of the morning of April 30, the suspects had not been apprehended, a sheriff's official said. A jury found an Oxnard man guilty of multiple counts of child molestation in a case involving two victims, authorities said. John Edward Kalil, 28, was convicted of six felony counts of lewd act upon a child on April 28, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Jurors also found true special allegations that there were multiple victims and there had been substantial sexual contact. The special allegations can bring a heavier sentence. Kalil molested two victims who were younger than 14 between 2014 and 2020, the DA's office said in a news release. The incidents took place in the home they shared, where Kalil had gained access through a familial relationship. Both victims reported the abuse after the arrests of another family member who was also allegedly molesting them, according to prosecutors. The case against the other family member is pending. "While I respect the jury process, my client maintains his innocence, and there will be an appeal," said Kalil's attorney, Encino-based Gregory Rubel, in a text message. Senior Deputy DA Stuart Gardner prosecuted the case. Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of June 6 in room 26 of Ventura County Superior Court. Kalil, who remains in custody without bail in the county's main jail, faces 150 years to life in state prison, prosecutors said. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks man avoids carjacking while kids were in car, more news
