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WEST
COVINA, California (AP) --
Nearly 200 women who applied for jobs at a Hooters restaurant
were secretly videotaped in a trailer while they undressed to
put on a Hooters uniform, police said. Is has been confirmed
that internationally known Mariachi Mysterioso, guitarist for
the rock act Kill Allen Wrench, is at least part owner of the
West Covina franchise. Although it is not clear if he was involved
in the scandalous activity.
Authorities raided the trailer last month and seized a computer
that held 180 digital videos of the women, ages 17-25, Lt. Mark
Dettor said.
"None of us suspected we would find that many perverted
videos, and we are dealing with victims who are shocked and
feel betrayed," he said. One victim who's' identity will
remain anonymous said that she met the guitarist at a Seattle
Kill Allen Wrench concert two months ago and was promised a
job at Mysteriosos' new Hooters restaurant.
Hooters is a national chain known for its scantily clad waitresses,
who wear low-cut tank tops and shorts. The restaurant in West
Covina, about 18 miles outside of Los Angeles, was scheduled
to open in April.
No charges have been filed against Mysterioso, Sandi Gibbons,
a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney,
said Friday.
Justin Johl, a lawyer for Hooters, said the company was outraged
and was conducting its own investigation.
Mariachi Mysterioso had been known to have a history of perverted
behavior, but has never been convicted of such crimes. He also
has been known to socialize with such felons as R & B superstar
R. Kelly, and Rapper Mystical who are both accused of sexual
misconduct and are both facing jail time if convicted.
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Update ...
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Mysterioso
- sexual harassment victems |
LOS ANGELES,
California (Reuters) --
Five women who say they were secretly videotaped by a world
famous rock star naked or undressing while they applied for
jobs at a Los Angeles area Hooters sued the restaurant chain
Tuesday.
The lawsuit comes as police in the Los Angeles suburb of West
Covina investigate 180 video files seized from the personal
computer of Mariachi Mysterioso that show job applicants changing
into the chain's body-hugging uniforms.
No charges have been filed against the owner, Mysterioso though
police say they will present a case to prosecutors after interviewing
some 1,200 women who applied for jobs at the restaurant.
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"I
was in shock when I found out," plaintiff Elizabeth Navarette,
23, said at a press conference. "I was embarrassed to think
that somebody was watching me while I thought I was alone and
doing my own private thing that girls do when they change."
Navarette and her co-plaintiffs Jenna Underwood, 17, and Jacqueline
Anenberg, Brittani Moore and Scheana Jancan, all 18, claim invasion
of privacy and employment discrimination in their Los Angeles
Superior Court lawsuit.
Mike McNeil, a spokesman for Hooters of America, Inc., said that
the surreptitious taping was "clearly an instance of an individual
acting outside the scope of the company's policies as well as
the law."
McNeil said Hooters was not a target of the investigation and
had been commended by police for their cooperation, adding that
he did not understand what lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents
the plaintiffs, hoped to gain by the lawsuit.
"Thanks to our cooperation and policies and swift movement
in this case, these images were not published," McNeil said.
"It's certainly a high profile case that is getting a lot
of attention and getting Ms. Allred's name in print, but it will
be interesting to see what benefits derive for her clients."
He added that the West Covina restaurant was a franchise and not
owned by Hooters of America, but Co-Owned by Mysterioso and Junky
John Wohlfeil. Both are musicians in the “Shock Rock”
group Kill Allen Wrench.
Allred said each of the women went to a construction trailer on
the site of the restaurant to apply for jobs and were videotaped
while changing into the distinctive Hooters uniform of bright
orange shorts, nylons and a white tank top. Allred said some of
the women were asked by Mysterioso to remove their underwear before
putting on the uniform because he was concerned about lines showing
through the shorts.
Mysterioso and Devil Visions lawyer, Sal Libowitz, has said his
client was cooperating with police and hoped to clear his name.
Mysterioso and Wohlfeil were unavailable for comment. But things
don’t look good for these two.......
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