A married mother of two daughters says she was infected with an incurable sexually transmitted disease after a janitor tainted her water bottles at her office.
Lucio Diaz, 50, has been charged with indecent assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Both charges are related to the same victim. "This individual is a sick man," the 54-year-old victim, who did not want to be identified, told ABC13.
In August, she noticed a foul smell in the employee water dispenser at the doctor's office on the East Freeway where she works. Afterward, she vowed to drink only from water bottles that she brought to work.
Then, in late September, she thought her own water bottle had been tainted with urine. Court records show a urinalysis confirmed it. But it was the spy camera that she bought that left no questions, she said. She shared only a still image from the video but allowed ABC13 to watch it in its entirety.
"Pulls out his penis and puts his penis in my bottle, basically rinses his penis in the water," she explained. She later learned of more devastating news.
"I learned I acquired (a sexually-transmitted disease) for which he also tested positive for," she said. "He gave me an STD I will have for the rest of my life. Nothing is going to change it. Nothing will make it better for me. In fact, I feel like, for the rest of my life, I will have to be careful."
Court records show Diaz is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. The Mexican national's immigration and work status are unclear. The victim said Diaz continued to work at the building even after management was notified. She is working with attorney Kim Spurlock.
"They have a duty to protect their tenants, and they wholly failed in those responsibilities," Spurlock said. The building's owner, Altera Fund Advisors, responded with a statement from CEO Terry Quinn:
"Our management company immediately cooperated with the police department in this matter as soon as we were made aware of this potential issue by our tenant. They were advised by the police to not alert or approach the alleged perpetrator so that he could be arrested. He was arrested when he returned to the building."
Investigators with HPD's Major Offenders Division believe more people have been infected and say Diaz could face more charges. "I want this to go to trial. I want him to be exposed for who he is, and I want him to pay for what he's done to me and then be deported," the victim said.
