What to Know
- The alleged attack happened last month at the CVS Pharmacy on Ditmas Avenue in Kensington, police say
- The suspect allegedly had a "non-disclosure agreement" signed by the woman stating she would not speak of the sexual abuse
- Police say they found similar contracts and are looking for the other women as part of their ongoing investigation
A security guard at a CVS in Brooklyn is accused of taking a suspected 28-year-old shoplifter into a back office, sexually abusing her and forcing her to sign a "non-disclosure agreement" before he let her go, authorities say.
Jose Ramos, 29, faces charges of forcible touching, coercion and sex abuse in connection with the March 15 confrontation at the pharmacy on Ditmas Avenue in Kensington, police confirmed Tuesday.
According to police, the woman he accused of shoplifting reported the sex attack to authorities a day later. She told police Ramos threatened to call the cops if she didn't let him take photos of her genitals. She obliged out of fear, authorities say she told them.
Ramos also allegedly groped the woman in the back office before letting her go. Police say he made the woman sign a "non-disclosure agreement" stating she would not tell anyone about what Ramos allegedly did to her. If she spoke to anyone of the abuse, Ramos would call the police, the "contract" allegedly said.
Cops found a piece of paper with that "non-disclosure agreement" when they searched Ramos' belongings. Police say they also found similar contracts signed by other women. Authorities are looking for those women, and say their investigation is active and ongoing.
CVS said in a statement it is in the process of firing Ramos.
Local
"The alleged actions of Mr. Ramos are a gross violation of our policies and wholly contrary to our values," the statement said. "We also sincerely apologize to the victims in this matter and we are cooperating fully with the NYPD’s Special Victims Division in their investigation."
“CVS has stringent policies and procedures to ensure that suspected shoplifters are treated lawfully and with respect," the statement continued. "Employees are not permitted to detain suspects unless they are accompanied by another colleague of the same gender as the suspect."
