A lawsuit was recently filed in Cumberland County Superior Court against a Bridgeton police sergeant over allegations that he made “unwanted sexual contact with a female worker at a café” two years ago. According to the suit, which was filed by Vineland resident Alexandra Ficcadenti, Sgt. Luis A. Santiago “sexually and physically assaulted her.”
A lawsuit was recently filed in Cumberland County Superior Court against a Bridgeton police sergeant over allegations that he made “unwanted sexual contact with a female worker at a café” two years ago. According to the suit, which was filed by Vineland resident Alexandra Ficcadenti, Sgt. Luis A. Santiago “sexually and physically assaulted her.”
Shortly after the incident that occurred between October 31, 2016, and November 11, 2016, Santiago was arrested on November 10, 2016, and charged with unwanted sexual contact. While he was indicted on August 2, 2017 “on two counts of fourth-degree sexual contact and one second-degree count of official misconduct…the criminal case is pending trial.”
According to the suit, the unwanted sexual contact occurred at Café Antonio on more than one occasion. Each time, Ficcadenti reported Santiago to the department, but nothing was done to prevent the unwanted attention. The suit states:
“Specifically, Defendant Santiago made numerous comments of a crude and explicit sexual nature and physically groped and touched Plaintiff’s private body parts and other body parts, all without Plaintiff’s consent or permission.”
As a result of her ordeal, Ficcadenti has “suffered expenses, lost wages, and emotional, ‘physical and psychological trauma and damage” and is seeking unspecified punitive and monetary damages, “reimbursement for legal costs, and interest.”
In addition to naming Santiago in the suit, “police Chief Michael Gaimari, the Police Department, the city…Cumberland County and the state of New Jersey” are all named as defendants. Ficcadenti and her attorney, Anthony Granato decided to add to the list of defendants because of “Santiago’s history or, and propensity for, violent behavior and/or sexual harassment and/or misconduct, making him unsuitable.” The suit asserts that “the other defendants should have been aware and acted accordingly.”
While Santiago and members of the city government have yet to respond to requests for comment, Gaimari issued the following statement:
“The matter involving suspended Sgt. Santiago remains pending in criminal court so I am not going to comment on it; however, the allegation made in the suit against the department and myself regarding the officer’s previous history is without merit…I stand by the department’s actions with regards to this matter, before, during and after the allegations surfaced and they were immediately referred to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office as per New Jersey Attorney General’s guidelines.”
Granato also has yet to respond to requests for comment. It should be noted, however, that this isn’t the first time the Bridgeton police department has been in hot water involving sexual harassment allegations. Back in May 2015, “five female city employees sued Bridgeton, accusing Officer Angel Santiago, the twin brother of Luis Santiago, of sexual harassment.”
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