Roseville set to pay $900K to woman injured by police after calling 911 at nail salon
The city of Roseville is set to pay a $900,000 settlement to a woman who alleged police officers severely injured her after she called 911 at a nail salon.
In a lawsuit filed in Sacramento Superior Court, Katherine Robles alleged that in 2021, police blocked her from getting her driver’s license from her purse, then arrested her for resisting a peace officer, and slammed her head against the ground while detaining her.
The city of Roseville declined comment on the settlement. Roseville officers involved in the case — Dean Riano, Seth Addington and Christopher Ciampa — did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
“As a public agency, we adhere to a policy of not commenting on pending active litigation to ensure the fairness and integrity of the legal process and the balancing of relative rights and interests,” said Erin Dunlay, city spokesperson. “While we have signed a settlement agreement, the case is still active pending the Court’s approval of a minor’s compromise.”
Robles went to Profile Nail Salon, at 1730 Santa Clara Drive in Roseville, on Feb. 21, 2021, with her two children, the complaint alleged. Robles and her daughter sat down in chairs to get their nails done, while her 7-year-old son, who has mental disabilities, sat off to the side with his iPad.
Another patron at the salon started complaining that the boy was making sounds and moving around and started cursing and yelling at the family, the complaint alleged.
As Robles was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher to report the incident, the patron threw a book at the children, the complaint alleged. The family then went outside to wait for officers.
When then-officers Riano and Addington arrived at the salon, they watched surveillance footage of the book throw.
Riano then told the people inside the salon that the patron did in fact commit assault by throwing the book, and that Robles had a right to press charges, the complaint alleged. But then when the two officers talked to Robles outside, they didn’t allow her to press charges, and they also didn’t write up a police report, the suit alleged.
The officers repeatedly asked to see Robles’ identification, and she said it was in her purse, inside the salon, the complaint alleged, but officers did not allow a salon employee to bring it out, or let Robles go and retrieve it.
As Robles walked over toward her children, Riano grabbed her arm, then grabbed her neck and slammed her on the ground, the suit alleged.
Robles was arrested for resisting a peace officer, and booked at the South Placer County Jail, the complaint said.
While at the police station, the two officers, along with then-officer Ciampa, continued to deny Robles medical assistance, and also denied her access to a phone to call an attorney for nearly three hours, the complaint alleged. She was released seven hours later.
Robles claims she still suffers from chronic neurological issues, extreme chest pain, severe headaches and a traumatic brain injury as a result of the encounter.
Riano is no longer a city employee, for reasons unrelated to the case, Dunlay said. Addington is still employed, now as a computer forensics detective for the department. Ciampa is now a lieutenant.
The city did not discipline any employees as a result of the incident, Dunlay said.
The city signed the settlement agreement in December. The Sacramento Bee obtained it from a request under the California Public Records Act.
“We are pleased with the settlement and hopeful that this provides some sense of justice and closure for our clients,” said Dale Galipo, Robles’ attorney. “Additionally, we are hopeful that bringing this lawsuit and protecting our clients’ rights will prevent this from happening to someone else in the future.”
