A Vallejo couple whose kidnapping claims were dismissed by local police as a Hollywood-inspired hoax have now filed suit against the city and two of its officers.
Denise Huskins and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn are seeking unspecified damages for alleged defamation and infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, comes six months after the initial filing of a complaint for damages, as reported here in September.
Huskins and Quinn were taken from their Mare Island home last year, following a break-in. Huskins says she was sexually assaulted by the perpetrator before being released in Huntington Beach where her mother lives.
Cops almost immediately dismissed the couples' claims at the time, calling it "an orchestrated event and not a kidnapping." They were forced to apologize after the suspect, Matthew Muller, was caught and confessed to the crime.
"The Vallejo police attacked Denise and Aaron when they were most vulnerable," their Attorney Kevin Clune said. "By taking the all-too-common approach of blaming the victim, Vallejo made an already tragic situation infinitely worse. Vallejo must be held accountable for its egregious misconduct."
The city and its police officers have not yet commented on the suit.
Read more about the lawsuit here.