A Chula Vista woman is suing the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and a deputy over accusations of assault and sexual misconduct while she was pregnant and incarcerated.
The plaintiff, who is not being identified because of the nature of the complaint, is asking for compensation from the county for what she says a deputy did while driving her to and from a doctor appointment.
It all happened when she was nine months pregnant last August.
The woman says no witnesses were present during her trip with Deputy Juan Pascua from the Las Colinas Detention Center to a clinic in Sorrento Valley.
"He kept telling me how freaky he was and how much fun I would have in bed with him,” the plaintiff said.
Then, she says, the inappropriate comments escalated into assault.
She claims Deputy Pascua asked her if she wanted him to touch her between her legs while she lied in the exam room, shackled to a bed.
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"I saw him coming toward me and I jumped off. I got up in a rapid motion and I got off the bed,” she said.
The original complaint filed last March against the county and deputy did not get a response.
A spokesperson for the department stated in an email at that time:
“Deputy Pascua still works for the department and is not on any department required leave. We do not comment on pending claims.”
The lawsuit claims the plaintiff’s civil rights were violated. Assault, gender violence, and emotional distress are among the accusations.
"Seemed like nobody was listening to me so I kept making reports,” she said.
The woman says other inmates in the jail experienced similar treatment but were too afraid to speak up.
In part an email sent to NBC 7, her attorney Dan galleon said he hopes other potential victims will now find the courage to come forward.
The original complaint states the sheriff's department opened an internal affairs investigation. The results, however, were not made public.
