Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A guy from out of town

Morrow Detective Agency works a wide range of cases, some of those cases delve into the infidelity spectrum. A lot of my clients know who the individual is that their significant other is seeing. They just require the proof and sometimes even the camaraderie of not being alone while dealing with this painful exhibit of betrayal. 

A client calls our offices and advises that he believes that his wife may be cheating on him. He knows who the guy is, and believes that the guy will be flying in from New York for a few days. The clients wife has been acting distant and has mentioned that she will be going out of town to sort some things through, she assures the client that she has no intention of meeting or seeing this guy. We start our investigation and observe the woman go to Los Angeles Airport, she waits and is eventually greeted by an unidentified male who fits the description and resemblance of a photograph of our guy from New York. The guy places his luggage in the back of the car and enters and they depart the area. The couple is followed to a nice hotel in the Santa Monica area. They have their vehicle parked by the valet and our investigator follows them into the hotel. They check in and we still do not see any public affection. They enter into their room and our investigator waits down stairs in the lobby area. About an hour and a half later both parties come down, they look fresh and are dressed nicely, they enter into the restaurant area of the hotel and position themselves in an area where they are very much by themselves. The couple are observed sitting closely and holding hands, an intimacy has started occurring. Our investigator decides that it is worth overstepping in order to record this moment. A photograph is obtained. After about another hour and a half the couple go upstairs. We end our surveillance as there is nothing further that we can observe, we did however learn how much the couple paid for their meal and also were able to take a photo of a receipt to prove that the clients wife had in fact been there and had also paid for the meal.  On the way out we took photos of the wife's vehicle to show that she was in fact staying overnight at the hotel. We even clarified with the front desk that a reservation for three days had been made. 

Our client confronts his wife with the information that was obtained. She immediately apologizes and confesses. Our client is happy because his wife has now acknowledged her wrong doing and has resolved to fix their issues. Infidelity can make a person feel inadequate, paranoid, alone, and depressed. The person that is being cheated on may be berated by the unfaithful party for having suspicions and feeling the way that they do. They often are told that they are crazy, jealous, or controlling. Our client adopted the trust but verify policy when he called us. He hoped that his hiring us would not be fruitful, but he trusted his gut and moved forward. Unfortunately his gut proved to be correct. If you are going through this know that you are not alone, there are people out there that can help you. Just give us a call. 

Morrow Detective Agency is a licensed private investigation firm located on the border of Ventura and Los Angeles, Ca in Simi Valley, CA. Morrow Detective Agency is capable of performing surveillance, process service, locates, background investigations, asset investigations, and more. Please feel free to visit our website at www.MorrowDetectiveAgency.com or give us a call at (805) 823-3540 and allow us to make your problem our solution!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Sexual Harassment

Imagine being a young lady, your going to school but like most kids struggling between hitting the books and keeping food in your refrigerator. You take a part time job and try to make friends and keep your social life an active one. All of this sounds like the norm right? 


A few years ago I received  a case that involved just that as stated above, however this young lady began alleging that one of her supervisors was coming on to her quite strongly. According to the young lady she was a waitress in a restaurant at a popular resort she attended a University in the area and was trying to make ends meet. This young lady we will call her Jane was an attractive young woman, outgoing, friendly, and a little naive to how the world works, but she was nineteen and that is to be expected. Jane was a good worker who often worked whatever extra hours she could grab in between her studies. After a few weeks Jane was going out with her other co-workers to clubs and parties. One of Jane's bosses who we will call David started taking notice to Jane, at first Dave would stop by during the off hours to see how Jane was doing, one of these times Dave asked Jane if she would like to go to a local club that a band was playing at. Jane said yes. Jane shows up at the club thinking that other co-workers were going to be attending this event, but was surprised when Dave advised that she was the only one. Jane did not think anything of the situation and decided to have a good time. As time progressed in the evening Dave had a little to much to drink and stated that he felt Jane was beautiful and he wanted to get to know her better. Jane taking into consideration that Dave was drunk dismissed his attempts of affection. 

The following week Dave did not speak with Jane that much until the following Friday.  Jane starts receiving text messages from Dave asking if she would like to go out to another club with himself and some other co-workers, Jane stated that she would. Jane shows up and again notices that there are no other co-workers at this particular event. Jane not wanting a repeat of last time makes up an excuse and leaves. Dave texts her later on in the evening asking why she left and and can she come over the next day. Jane ignores the texts. The following Monday Jane is called into Dave's office. Dave tells her that her level of productivity is not where it should be and that she is receiving a warning. Jane was surprised as she had never received any complaints or had any issues in the past while working for the company. Jane feels that she has gotten the wrong end of the stick and complains to Dave's manager. Dave's manager as it turns out is good friends with Dave and he takes Dave's side. Dave proceeds to make Jane's working life a living hell. He starts giving her tasks that are not in her job description, he demands that she stay later in order to get the tasks done. He switches her schedule around so that now it is affecting her school work. A few months and Jane is failing her classes and files for a leave of absence. Jane hires an attorney and the attorney gets in contact with the owner of this company. The owner after finding all of this out hires an investigator and I happen to the be investigator that picks up the case. I interview Jane first in a secluded area at the employers. Jane recounts what had happened but adds some new text messages and phone calls that Dave has made since her leaving the company. In the middle of interviewing Jane, Dave walks into the room, see's her and I, and then walks out. I notice Jane start shivering and becoming despondent. I ask her if she is ok and she nods yes. She states he has been harassing me to the point where I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I have had to withdraw myself from school. I assure Jane that we will substantiate what she has stated has happened, I have her email me the text messages and I record the voice mail messages with the date and time announced. 

I next interview Dave's manager who pretty much states that he did not know about a sexual harassment issue until Jane had filed for a leave of absence, that Jane had been a great worker but a couple of months before she filed her work product and activity started diminishing. The manager advises that there is a strict fraternization policy and the managers and employees are not supposed to hang out outside of work and work activities. I interview a bartender at the place of employment who states that he knows for a fact that Jane had complained to the manager prior to the managers recollection because he had went with her to complain due to her being nervous and afraid, he even shows a text that he had with Jane while she waited in the managers office, that text is dated and he emails it over to me. I speak with another employee who had little to offer in regards to the sexual harassment claim but learned that Dave and his manager were really good friends and that Dave was the Godfather of the managers son. 

Finally I interview Dave. Dave states that he has not contacted Jane outside of work for anything that was not work related. That Jane has come to work smelling of alcohol and has been doing substandard work.  I ask Dave for his employee evaluations for the whole time that Jane has worked at the employer and I note that he had given her rave reviews until about the time that she started accusing him of overstepping his managerial duties. I then play the voice mails that he left for Jane asking for her to come back to work so he can see her pretty face, and how much he missed seeing her walk by his office. I show him the text messages and confirm that his telephone number is the one that sent them saying how lonely he was at night and needing her body next to him to help keep him warm. Dave starts to pale, he then starts to tell his version of the truth. That Jane was hitting on him and he was reciprocating, that he did find he attractive and did not want to get into trouble as he was married and did not want his wife to find out that he and Jane were interested in each other. I asked him why would he continue to contact her when clearly text messages showed that she was not responding. Dave had no reply. I asked him why would he leave voicemail messages for her at 12:00 a.m. and did he have any text messages or voicemails to substantiate his claims. He did not. Dave than did something that has only happened two other times in my career. He breaks down and apologizes for all that he has done. He acknowledges that Jane was telling the truth and that he felt that her kindness towards him was romantic interest. I thanked Dave for his candor and concluded the interview. Dave's best friend asks to see me before I leave their facility. He asked me what I uncovered in my investigation. I tell him. As I tell him I see him get smaller and smaller in his seat. When I tell him that I know that he and Dave have an out of work relationship and that there is confirmation that Jane had complained well before her leave of absence, the manager asks me for my tapes. I tell him that the tapes go straight to the office, copies will be made and the owner will get them. 

About two months later I received a call from Jane. Jane tells me that the owner called her and apologized, that he offered to reimburse her for all of her losses and wanted to make her suffering whole. Dave and his manager buddy were no longer working with the company and the company also decided to give Jane a grant for her school funding. This wont erase the embarrassment, the pain, or the humiliation that Jane suffered. But it can help Jane to feel better about the company and do something bigger than that which was afflicted upon her. 

Morrow Detective Agency is a licensed private investigation firm located on the border of Ventura and Los Angeles, Ca in Simi Valley, CA. Morrow Detective Agency is capable of performing surveillance, process service, locates, background investigations, asset investigations, and more. Please feel free to visit our website at www.MorrowDetectiveAgency.com or give us a call at (805) 823-3540 and allow us to make your problem our solution!