Premises Liability - Thursday, March 15, 2012 8:34 - 0 Comments

Mother Of Child Sues Apartment Complex

The mother of a murdered seven-year-old girl has filed suit against a Cherokee County, Ga. apartment complex. It was alleged in the Complaint that the River Ridge at Canton complex hired a maintenance man with a history of crimes against children. That man, Ryan Brunn, confessed to the brutal killing of Jorelys Rivera days after her body was found in a trash compactor. The child’s mother, Joselinne Rivera, contends that the complex failed to do an adequate background check on Brunn. It’s alleged in the civil lawsuit, filed in Fulton County State Court, that despite residents’ complaints about Brunn lingering at the complex playground watching children, the complex retained the 20-year-old.

McCormack Baron Salazar is the management company for the complex. Investigators have previously said that Brunn had no criminal history as an adult. But in a videotaped interview with GBI agents moments after being sentenced, Brunn admitted he had molested two girls while babysitting years earlier. Jorelys was last seen alive on December 2nd while at the playground, located across from the apartment where she lived with her mother and two younger sisters. The child was reported missing later that evening.

The lawsuit, which will be tried before a jury, contends that the complex should have informed Joselinne Rivera that registered sex offenders were among the residents. The little girl’s body was found inside a trash compactor on December 5th. Investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. Brunn was arrested two days later and charged with the girl’s killing. He later confessed, but served only hours of his life sentence before hanging himself with his prison-issued sweatshirt.

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution