By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
The family of a man killed at a car wash in Hollister, California, has filed a civil suit against the owners of the company claiming they are partially responsible.
Earlier this year, Efrain Amezcua, 48, was shot and killed by Jose Angel Valdez following an altercation at the Hillcrest Car & RV Wash. Valdez was arrested later that day.
The family of Amezcua filed the civil suit on Dec. 16, the same day Valdez was bound over for trial during a preliminary hearing.
The lawsuit, filed by Amezcua’s widow, accuses the car wash owners of premises liability, wrongful death and negligence.
According to a press release from the widow’s attorneys, MSD Lawyers, “The owners knew or should have known about the criminal activity and had a duty to make their premises safe from this continual danger. Their failure to do so cost Efrain his life.”
The lawsuit claims the confrontation was connected to a bullying incident between the two men’s daughters, who both attended school together. After an argument between the two men, Valdez allegedly shot Amezcua several times.
The press release adds that Hillcrest Car Wash was previously the scene of another deadly altercation in 2002, when a customer was beaten to death by a suspect with a pipe. That suspect was arrested in 2016, says the press release.
It remains unclear whether the owners of the car wash, 421 Hillcrest Road LLC, have been notified of the suit.
On the surface, the suit against the car wash owners may seem unusual, but plaintiffs in civil actions where those directly responsible have few assets often target other defendants who they believe are also responsible and have the means to pay an award.
