Former Anaheim police officer allegedly raped woman he followed from In-N-Out

An Orange County woman filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against an Anaheim Police Department officer, claiming he raped her after seeing her at an In-N-Out Burger and learning her name from her license plate.

The woman, referred to in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, sued former police officer Carlos Romero, the city of Anaheim and ten members of the police department, accusing them of sexual assault and civil rights violations, among other things.

Romero’s alleged actions were “malicious, oppressive and/or committed with reckless disregard for plaintiff’s constitutional rights,” the lawsuit states.

After the allegations were brought to police’s attention, Romero was placed on paid administrative leave until 2023 pending the outcome of the criminal and administrative investigation, Anaheim spokesman Mike Lyster said in a statement Tuesday.

“We hold our police officers to the highest standards and our police department thoroughly investigates all cases of employee misconduct,” he said. “In addition, we must respect the restrictions of state law that prevent us from providing further comment on ongoing personnel investigations.”

According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for Central California, the woman was in the drive-thru of an In-N-Out restaurant near Orange Avenue and Brookhurst Street on May 19, 2023, when she noticed Romero smiling at her.

The next day, she received a Facebook request from Romero, asking if he was the officer at In-N-Out, according to the lawsuit. Romero said he was and explained he got her information by checking her license plate. He then asked for the woman’s phone number and got it.

Romero began texting the woman, the suit alleges, even though she made it clear she was not interested in a romantic relationship. Over the next few months, Romero continued to text her and come to her home while he was on duty. The two kissed, but the woman refused to have sex when Romero asked her to, the suit alleges.

On September 25, Romero asked if he could come over, but the woman told him she was having a “bad day” and that he should not come over if he wanted to have sex. While on duty, Romero allegedly drove to her house in his patrol car while in uniform.

According to the lawsuit, Romero began kissing the woman and performing oral sex on her, which she agreed to, but then forcibly penetrated her with his fingers and penis after she repeatedly said “no” and called his name to get him to stop. Romero also forced her to perform oral sex, according to the lawsuit.

The woman said in the lawsuit that she made it clear before and after Romero’s alleged sexual assault that she did not consent. While he was abusing her, his gun was on the couch, in full view of the woman, according to the lawsuit.

The woman said she was “horrified and feared for her life” and just wanted Romero to leave.

The lawsuit alleges that the woman suffered physical, emotional and mental injuries and incurred medical and psychological expenses as well as lost wages. She is seeking over $7 million.