24 women now sue El Paso worker, hotel for restroom camera
EL PASO, Texas -- Another 11 women are coming forward to accuse an El Paso hotel worker of secretly filming up their skirts at a UTEP-area hotel in a case that dates back to May.
Three months ago, 13 women women filed a civil lawsuit alleging that David Monastere secretly filmed up their skirts using a hidden camera in a restroom during a nursing conference. Now, 11 more women from the Borderland are joining the lawsuit against both him and his employer, the Hilton Garden Inn El Paso University Hotel.
The lawyers for 20 of the two-dozen women suing held a news conference Wednesday about the case, which you can watch in the video player below.
Police also arrested Monastere on criminal charges stemming from the hotel incident, but he was released from jail on $45,000 bond pending trial.
In the civil suit, the women are seeking monetary damages and claim the hotel hired Monastere even though he had an extensive criminal history. Records show that Monastere's history includes:
- He was sentenced to six years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon in 2000.
- He was arrested by UTEP police after being accused of inappropriately touching women in 2013, although those charges were eventually dismissed.
- And earlier this year, he was charged with nine counts of invasive visual recording after those first 13 alleged hotel victims came forward.
Police haven't indicated if more criminal charges may be filed against Monastere in light of the additional women who now say they too were victims.
Back in May, one of his accusers - who wished to remain anonymous - expressed these concerns to ABC-7: "He knows our names, he knows what unit we work on, he knows what hospital we work at."
She added, "Clearly (I have) more anxiety, being aware of who's around me more often. When we go to the bathroom,I used to think it was silly to check, but now I go ahead and check the trashcans and lift the lid and make sure there's nothing in there."
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