News Articles about Patton Lawfirm Cases
- Woman, 4 others settle for $1.4 Million
- Cancer Victim Wins Judgement
- OCTA settles injury lawsuit
- Hospitals to pay family $8 million
- Legal battle swirls around veteran in vegetative state.
- $17.6 million awarded in malpractice case.
- Fontana Kaiser ordered to pay $848,000
- $1.1 million is awarded after surgeon found negligent
- Claim faults TCHD
- Coroner: Morphine Triggered boy’s death
- Family Sues Home Depot in Girl’s Death
- Loss of son devastates couple
- Shooting victim gets $2.3 million
- Jury awards $1 million in harassment case
- O’side man wins $1.1M in lawsuit
- Lawsuit: Disney Security too harsh
Lawsuit: Disney Security too harsh
COURTS: Family contends park guards had no basis for arrest.
By Anne C. Mulken – The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA - A Santa Maria family sued Disneyland on Thursday, contending they were falsely arrested and imprisoned by park security guards.
Rafael Cortez, 40, and his wife, Irma, 37, said their daughter Veronica, 17, was accused of stealing two Mickey Mouse hats, even though she had a receipt.
“It really shocked us,” Irma Cortez said. “We were like, ‘Wait a minute, we have our receipts.’”
Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The suit, filed at Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, seeks unspecified damages.
The case comes as other patrons have criticized park security. The U.S. Justice Department said this week that it is investigating claims by a Covina woman and her family that they were assaulted by Disneyland guards.
The Cortez family clashed with guards April 6. Veronica Cortez said in court papers that she bought two Mickey Mouse hats with fuzzy, protruding ears for $16.70 each near the It’s a Small World ride. She later went into another gift shop, and guards stopped her outside.
The guards, the suit alleges, questioned the girl for three hours because her receipt said “stuffed animals” and not “hats.”
Irma Cortez said she returned to the It’s a Small World store and asked a cashier to ring up Mickey Mouse hats. The receipt again printed “Stuffed Animals.” Shop employees told the guards that Veronica Cortez had bought the hats, the lawsuit states.