A Fort Worth woman was sexually assaulted early Monday morning at an apartment complex in south Fort Worth. Police state that the man entered her unlocked apartment and stated that he had a gun. After sexually assaulting the victim, the man threatened her, stole several items from the department, and then forced her to drive him to an ATM to take out cash. He finally made her drive him to a shopping center near her apartment and drop him off.
The victim described the assailant as being Hispanic and in his mid-20s. She stated he was wearing a black sweatshirt with a California flag logo and dark sweatpants.
Cases like this are not new to our firm. Just last year we settled a case involving a broken lock in an apartment that led to the sexual assault of a child. Prior to this incident, the victim’s family had reported the broken lock to the apartment managers, who failed to fix it. When the sexual assault occurred, the assailant entered the apartment through the same window whose lock was broken.
Because of tragic situations like these, all tenants should be aware of the rights owed to them by their landlords and management companies. Apartment complexes are required by law to provide specific protections, such as working locks on doors and windows. In some cases, if reasonable, apartment complexes may be required to provide security services on the premises to protect the well-being of their tenants.
For more information about previous cases we have resolved successfully, please visit our results page.