More victims come forward to accuse El Paso hotel employee of secretly recording women
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — More victims came forward to accuse an El Paso hotel employee of secretly recording them inside a restroom.
Eleven more victims came forward, which makes over 20 women who have accused David Monastere.
Attorney Cesar Ornelas is representing the victims in a lawsuit against Monastere.
A victim and Ornelas held a press conference on August 11.
An attorney representing a group of nurses said an employee of a hotel near the University of Texas at El Paso recorded more than a dozen nurses using a restroom during a training conference they attended.
Cesar Ornelas is representing thirteen women. He's asking other victims to come forward.
The alleged incident happened on February 21 at the Hilton Garden Inn UTEP at 111 W University Avenue in west El Paso during a nursing training conference.
Monastere is accused of using his cellphone to secretly record women using the restroom.
The lawsuit alleges Monastere first took photos of work badges of the alleged victims.
It states that Monastere instructed the women to use a single restroom when they needed to during the conference in which he escorted them to.
Monastere is also accused of making a sign that read “women’s restroom” and placing it on the door of a single restroom and placing another sign in the hallway of the banquet area that directed the women at the conference to use the single restroom.
The alleged victims became suspicious on the second day of the conference, according to the lawsuit.
A cellphone was found in the trash can that was recording video of one of the alleged victims. A search through the cellphone uncovered several videos of women using the restroom, according to the lawsuit.
Hotel management was notified about the recordings, the lawsuit stated.
Monastere was arrested weeks later on April 16 and charged with nine counts of invasive visual recording, according to jail records.
He was released from jail six days after his arrest. His bond totaled $45,000.
On Wednesday, El Paso police said Monastere was arrested after their investigation.
El Paso police confirmed Monastere's cellphone had been placed in a trash can to record women using a particular restroom throughout the day.
The lawsuit also alleged that Monastere had videos of other victims on his cellphone that were recorded weeks before.
“This is some of the most disgusting, damaging and horrific abuse a man can inflict on a woman, and Defendant Monastere is alleged to have victimized countless women in this manner, in this instance and previous instances,” Ornelas said. “This animal belongs in prison, but until then my firm, Cesar Ornelas Law, will hold him, the hotel and its owners and investors accountable for the irreversible trauma they have caused these victims - nurses serving on the frontlines of COVID. I encourage any other victims to contact law enforcement immediately and our firm to join the other brave thirteen women standing up to their abuser.”
Police said their investigation is ongoing.
In 2019, Irving J. Marquez was sentenced for recording women in the bathroom in 2017.
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