Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Patient says former Charger molested her

Woman was sedated at UCSD after emergency throat surgery

An unnamed woman has accused a former Chargers player of sexually assaulting her in October of last year while she was under sedation at a UCSD hospital.

The 52-year-old woman filed a civil lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California as well former NFL player and current free agent Kenny Okoro.

According to the complaint, the woman was admitted to UCSD's Thornton Hospital in La Jolla in October 2016 for an emergency tracheostomy in order to remove a cancerous mass in her throat.

Doctors performed the procedure on October 13. The surgery left her unable to speak and in great pain. She complained to doctors and nursing staff about the pain and demanded that doctors remove the tube. To prevent further injury, hospital staff assigned a sitter to the woman's room, a person who would be able to keep watch over her and alert nurses of any emergency.

On October 17, an elderly woman dressed in street clothes watched over her. The following day, the sitter was Okoro — who was hired as a senior nurse aid for UCSD after a brief stint as a defensive back in the NFL, including a three-month stint with the former San Diego Chargers.

Sponsored
Sponsored

On October 19, according to the lawsuit, the woman awoke heavily sedated to find Okoro sitting next to her, fondling her breasts and genitalia. She said she felt as if she had been raped. Okoro allegedly stood up and asked the woman if she was in pain. She reached for the nurse call button but it had been moved. She removed her IV and stumbled to the nurses’ station. She tried frantically to tell the nurses what had happened but the tracheostomy tube had rendered her speechless. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote, "this guy molested me."

She demanded that the nurse call police. The nurse told Okoro to leave and took the woman back to her room. According to the lawsuit, the woman "continued to cry and attempt to speak, but the nurse ignored her voiceless pleas. The nurse saw her lips move, but did not try to decipher the words that she mouthed."

The nurse left and the woman called 911 from her cell phone. She was unable to speak and the operator hung up. She tried again with the same result.

She grabbed her things and wrote a note telling the nurses she was checking out and going to nearby Scripps La Jolla. Approximately 100 feet from the outside doors, guards approached her. One guard tackled her to get her to stop. A small knife was found inside her bag. Guards took her back to her room where she wrote the following notes:

  • "That guy was molesting me. The nurse let him go. He probably [is] in somebody else's room. Call the Police. I can't talk."
  • "I am starving to death. I need to eat."
  • "That guy was touching me. Nurse doesn't believe me. Call the Police."
  • “He molested me. Call the Police please. Nurse doesn't believe me. He's a sitter."
  • "Please read this. The guy in my room was molesting me. I told nurse. She let him walk out. I begged her to call Police. She wouldn't help me. I tried to go to Scripps Hospital, then guys pushed me down in the parking lot and made me come back. I'M SCARED.”
  • "That rapist is walking around probably in some other room. Please stop him. Please. I cannot talk. I need to call cops. Can you call them[?] PLEASE. I NEED TO EAT FOOD."

Yet, instead of listening to her pleas, hospital staff ordered her removed for mental evaluation at a psychiatric ward. She was discharged three days later, after doctors cleared her. She was taken to a subacute nursing facility in Golden Hill to recover.

On March 28 of this year, after recovering from chemotherapy, she filed a formal complaint with UCSD police.

Attorney Jessica Pride, who represents the woman, says her client "wants to see [Okoro] brought to justice for what he did and she would like UCSD to be held accountable for their negligence and their overall failure to ensure the safety of their patients."

UCSD police sergeant John Smart says a report was filed but no arrest has been made. Sergeant Smart also said he did not believe a rape test was ever conducted.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Kumeay near Rosarito befriended Kumeay on reservation near Boulevard

Called into principal's office for long braid
Next Article

My brother gave up the Reader crossword

Encinitas cliff collapse victims not so virtuous

An unnamed woman has accused a former Chargers player of sexually assaulting her in October of last year while she was under sedation at a UCSD hospital.

The 52-year-old woman filed a civil lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California as well former NFL player and current free agent Kenny Okoro.

According to the complaint, the woman was admitted to UCSD's Thornton Hospital in La Jolla in October 2016 for an emergency tracheostomy in order to remove a cancerous mass in her throat.

Doctors performed the procedure on October 13. The surgery left her unable to speak and in great pain. She complained to doctors and nursing staff about the pain and demanded that doctors remove the tube. To prevent further injury, hospital staff assigned a sitter to the woman's room, a person who would be able to keep watch over her and alert nurses of any emergency.

On October 17, an elderly woman dressed in street clothes watched over her. The following day, the sitter was Okoro — who was hired as a senior nurse aid for UCSD after a brief stint as a defensive back in the NFL, including a three-month stint with the former San Diego Chargers.

Sponsored
Sponsored

On October 19, according to the lawsuit, the woman awoke heavily sedated to find Okoro sitting next to her, fondling her breasts and genitalia. She said she felt as if she had been raped. Okoro allegedly stood up and asked the woman if she was in pain. She reached for the nurse call button but it had been moved. She removed her IV and stumbled to the nurses’ station. She tried frantically to tell the nurses what had happened but the tracheostomy tube had rendered her speechless. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote, "this guy molested me."

She demanded that the nurse call police. The nurse told Okoro to leave and took the woman back to her room. According to the lawsuit, the woman "continued to cry and attempt to speak, but the nurse ignored her voiceless pleas. The nurse saw her lips move, but did not try to decipher the words that she mouthed."

The nurse left and the woman called 911 from her cell phone. She was unable to speak and the operator hung up. She tried again with the same result.

She grabbed her things and wrote a note telling the nurses she was checking out and going to nearby Scripps La Jolla. Approximately 100 feet from the outside doors, guards approached her. One guard tackled her to get her to stop. A small knife was found inside her bag. Guards took her back to her room where she wrote the following notes:

  • "That guy was molesting me. The nurse let him go. He probably [is] in somebody else's room. Call the Police. I can't talk."
  • "I am starving to death. I need to eat."
  • "That guy was touching me. Nurse doesn't believe me. Call the Police."
  • “He molested me. Call the Police please. Nurse doesn't believe me. He's a sitter."
  • "Please read this. The guy in my room was molesting me. I told nurse. She let him walk out. I begged her to call Police. She wouldn't help me. I tried to go to Scripps Hospital, then guys pushed me down in the parking lot and made me come back. I'M SCARED.”
  • "That rapist is walking around probably in some other room. Please stop him. Please. I cannot talk. I need to call cops. Can you call them[?] PLEASE. I NEED TO EAT FOOD."

Yet, instead of listening to her pleas, hospital staff ordered her removed for mental evaluation at a psychiatric ward. She was discharged three days later, after doctors cleared her. She was taken to a subacute nursing facility in Golden Hill to recover.

On March 28 of this year, after recovering from chemotherapy, she filed a formal complaint with UCSD police.

Attorney Jessica Pride, who represents the woman, says her client "wants to see [Okoro] brought to justice for what he did and she would like UCSD to be held accountable for their negligence and their overall failure to ensure the safety of their patients."

UCSD police sergeant John Smart says a report was filed but no arrest has been made. Sergeant Smart also said he did not believe a rape test was ever conducted.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Our lowest temps are typically in January, Tree aloes blooming for the birds

Big surf changes our shorelines
Next Article

Trump disses digital catapults

Biden likes General Atomics drones
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader