Lawsuit: New Jersey cop and his identical cop twin sexually harassed female co-workers
LatestA New Jersey police officer and his identical twin brother are being sued by five female co-workers who say that one of the twins sexually harassed them and the other retaliated against them when they complained.
The women filed a lawsuit late last month against Bridgeton, N.J. police officers Angel and Luis Santiago alleging that Angel subjected them to a “plethora of unwanted sexual harassment” and Luis retaliated after they complained. They also sued the City of Bridgeton for not protecting them from the twins’ actions.
According to the complaint, Angel Santiago rubbed his penis—which he nicknamed “Captain Hook”—against the women. He also allegedly touched and scratched their breasts, attempted to kiss them, claimed to be having sex with co-workers, and showed the women cellphone photos of “Captain Hook” and videos of him having sex. In all, the list of alleged examples of Angel’s harassment goes on for four-and-a-half pages (see below).
The lawsuit was filed by Deena Bertolini, Veronica Cheeseman, Carolyn Dover, Deanne Laing, and Kelly Queen, who are sergeants, detectives, dispatchers, and secretaries at the police department.
Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari and City Attorney Rebecca Bertram have not yet returned requests for comment. Gaimari told the Press of Atlantic City that Angel Santiago “has not been in a working capacity for the department” since August 2013.
Arthur Murray, the womens’ attorney, told the South Jersey Times that his clients were interviewed as part of an internal investigation into Angel Santiago’s behavior and that Angel was suspended without pay in October 2013. (We’ve reached out to Murray for comment and will update if we hear back.)
After Angel was suspended, Luis Santiago made false complaints about the plaintiffs and made “dirty looks at them,” among other forms of harassment, the suit alleges. Luis is still employed with the department and is on active duty, the Press and Times report.
The twins have a history of trouble with the law: Angel was charged with assault after a domestic violence incident in 2012, and Luis was charged with harassment the same year. Both officers had their guns confiscated and were put on administrative duty after the charges.
Fusion was unable to obtain contact information for the twins; court records say their attorney hasn’t yet been named.
They aren’t the only cops facing sexual misconduct allegations at the Bridgeton Police Department: A separate lawsuit filed in February accuses another officer of extorting sex from a woman in exchange for not sending her to jail.
Here’s the full complaint:
Casey Tolan is a National News Reporter for Fusion based in New York City.