L.A. County social worker is accused of lying about acid attack
A Los Angeles County social worker who said she was accosted by strangers who threw acid on her has been charged with filing a false police report.
Mary Quinones, who works for the county Department of Children and Family Services, said an unidentified man and woman approached her in the parking lot of the agency’s Santa Fe Springs office Aug. 19. They asked if she was a social worker, then threw the acid or some other caustic substance on her arms, she said.
Paramedics took her to the hospital with moderate burns, according to Whittier police, who responded to the incident.
But after a thorough investigation, police determined the assault “did not occur” and “no other person was responsible for the injuries sustained by Quinones,” according to a statement released by the department.
She has been charged with a single misdemeanor count of filing a false police report.
Quinones still has her job but will not be visiting clients or making decisions affecting families until her criminal case is resolved, said Armand Montiel, a spokesman for the DCFS. The agency will also conduct its own internal investigation, Montiel said.
“Any time a charge like this is filed, it’s very serious, and we find it very troubling,” Montiel said.
Police patrols of the building were stepped up after the reported assault, Montiel said, but he is not sure if they will continue.
“We had no reason to doubt the story,” when Quinones first reported it, Montiel said. Social workers deal with clients who are going through stressful situations, and sometimes they become aggressive. “Most commonly it’s rude behavior, or verbal assaults, but there are physical assaults as well,” Montiel said.
Twitter: @jackdolanLAT
ALSO
Earthquake: 3.1 quake strikes near Fontana
State to boost oversight of services for students learning English
The White House wants to make comparing colleges easier with its new scorecard
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
