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Lawsuit filed against man accused of urinating in water bottles
More than a dozen women who say they contracted an incurable sexually transmitted disease from a janitor tainting their water bottles at work have now filed a lawsuit. FOX 26’s Damali Keith reports more about the lawsuit.
HOUSTON - A lawsuit was filed against multiple companies after a Houston custodian was arrested back in October 2022 after a worker claimed he gave her an incurable sexually transmitted disease (STD) by peeing in her water bottle.
Reports say law firm Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner partnered with Mo Aziz and attorney Morgan Mills, together with Kimberley Spurlock and Samantha Spencer of Spurlock & Associates, P.C. have filed a lawsuit on the behalf of 13 women against companies they say "permitted and disregarded" the actions of Lucio Catarino Diaz.
"It’s not only terrifying but somewhat humiliating for them," says Spurlock, one of the attorneys representing the women. "His disgusting actions have left many of us with permanent health concerns," Spurlock says as she reads from a statement from one of her clients.
Diaz, who was said to have the Herpes Simplex 1 Virus, allegedly tampered with water bottles in an East Houston office building which led to more than 13 women in the same building testing positive for incurable STDs.
PREVIOUS STORY: Houston Medical Office custodian arrested, co-worker claims she got Herpes by peeing in her water bottle
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We reported in October about a woman who said she noticed a water bottle she kept on her desk smelled and tasted funny. She soon realized it was pee.
Later on, in August 2022, several other women also noticed the water bottles in their building smelled and tasted foul, similar to urine. This caused one of the women to buy a hidden camera and place it on her desk.
Lucio Catarino Diaz
The video was said to show nighttime janitor Diaz approaching the woman’s desk and setting his cleaning supplies down. Diaz then allegedly began to rub his genitalia on the interior and mouth of a water bottle sitting on the desk, even turning it upwards to ensure he touched the water. The video then allegedly showed him placing the bottle back where he found it and continuing to clean the desk.
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The next day the woman reportedly sent a copy of the video to the building's management company and told them she would be notifying the other tenants in the building. The management company asked the woman not to tell the tenants and told her they would handle the incident and let them know, reports say.
"Even after building management knew about the video they did not contact the police. Our clients did," says Mo Aziz.
Text messages between the victim and Building Management (Photo Courtesy of Houston Law Firm Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner)
However, the building allegedly gave no notification to the tenants, and later the same evening the hidden camera caught Diaz doing the act again.
Reports say it was six days after receiving the video, on Oct. 3, 2022, when the company finally notified tenants.
"He was allowed to come back in, and he continued to conduct himself this way and who knows how many people picked up their water bottles during that six days and were effected by his actions," Spurlock adds.
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Diaz admitted to the crime and was charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Reports say the deadly weapon was his bodily fluids which contained the virus.
"My baby asked me ‘mom you don’t love me anymore that’s why you won’t kiss me?’. I was never one to believe monsters existed until it was proven they do by humans," Spurlock continues as she recites her clients' statements.
Four women who worked in the office building initially filed a lawsuit after they reportedly tested positive for STDs. Since then, nine other women who worked in the building came forward with the same allegations and STDs.
The Defendants named in the lawsuit include the owner of the building, the building’s management company, the maintenance company, and the cleaning company that employed Diaz.