Jury Awards Lynne Curtin’s Daughter Alexa Curtin $2.25 Million Over Rape Involving An Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy

Alexa Curtin, daughter of Real Housewives of Orange County alum, Lynne Curtin is back in the spotlight. This time, she had a victory in court over a rape case involving a Sheriff’s deputy.

On Friday, Alexa Curtin won her legal battle against the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and was awarded $2.25 million by a federal jury.

Alexa filed a lawsuit in April 2014, alleging she had been sexually assaulted when Sheriff’s Deputy, Nicholas Lee Caropino, came to the home of Curtin’s then-boyfriend after the couple got into an argument. According to the lawsuit, Caropino drove Curtin to her car, which was parked nearby. Once there, the deputy made inappropriate comments about her underwear, which he found in her car, and ordered her to stay put. She alleged he then returned to the scene, in his vehicle and out of uniform, got into the passenger seat of her car, and raped her. 

The jury found that the county was liable because sheriff’s department policy allowed former deputy Caropino to stay on patrol duty, and remain in contact with the public, even as he was under criminal investigation for a previous sexual assault allegations.

The daughter of the former RHOC star maintained that Caropino had sexually violated two other women besides herself. According to court documents submitted to the court, “Unfortunately for the community, Ms. Curtin was not the only person Deputy Caropino sexually assaulted.”

Jane Doe #1 was pulled over by Caropino and asked if she’d been drinking. She admitted to have a couple margaritas. Carpino asked if she’d ever “date a cop” and Jane Doe #1 said no, she would not. Then he reportedly turned off all his recording devices.

He then asked Jane Doe #1 if she was “wet” and that he wanted to “feel her.” He reached his hand through the car window and fondled her genitals. Then he stated, “I want to f*ck you right now.” He instructed her to follow him to a parking lot.

“She followed him to a parking lot, where he parked his squad car next to hers and directed her to get into the backseat of her car. He then engaged in non-consensual sexual intercourse with her in the backseat. Before leaving, Deputy Caropino asked Ms. Doe #1 for her phone number and she gave it to him. A few days later he started sending her vulgar threatening text messages that Ms. Doe #1 did not reciprocate.”

Orange County spokeswoman Carrie Braun said the county didn’t condone “the alleged conduct of former deputy Caropino.”

The sheriff’s department issued a notice of dismissal to Caropino in August 2015, according to court documents.

Daniel K. Balaban, another of Curtin’s attorneys, said his client also wants the sheriff’s department to change their practices.

“She’s very pleased with the verdict and is hopeful that they’ll change their policy so this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Balaban said. “It’s been a very long and exhausting process for her.”

Alexa has found herself embroiled in other legal trouble since the sexual assault incident in 2014. Alexa’s grandmother, Marilou Colee, 88, filed an ‘elder abuse’ restraining order against the 23-year-old, claiming that her granddaughter has spiraled out of control and broke into her California home in Mission Viejo. The particular type of legal order she is seeking is for persons 65 years or older who have been physically, emotionally or financially abused.

According to Alexa’s grandmother — the sexual assault drove Alexa to drug use. Two months after filing the lawsuit, Alexa was charged with drug possession.

That same year, Alexa did porn under the alias ‘Jayden Taylors’ to pay for plastic surgery.

 

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