The 65-year-old victim was towed to an impound in her van but not discovered dead until a month later. NBC 7’s Dave Summers reports.
The family of a homeless woman who was found dead in the van in which she was living is suing the city of San Diego and the San Diego Police Department, among others.
The 65-year-old victim was towed to an impound in her van but was not discovered dead until a month later.
According to the complaint filed against the city of San Diego, Monica Cameroni De Adams had been living in her 2001 Honda Odyssey in the Clairmont area for the last seven years.
On Nov. 5, 2023, Jordan Lopez, who later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, crashed his Hyundai Sonata into De Adams’ van while it was parked on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.
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San Diego police responded, and Lopez was arrested.
Roadway Towing hooked the van and then parked it in an impound yard on Fairmount Avenue, according to the lawsuit. Inside the wrecked van was not only all of the woman’s belongings but also the woman herself.
A family spokesperson told NBC 7 it wasn’t until a month later, on Dec. 6, that a tow lot worker there smelled something awful coming from the vehicle. It was De Adams' remains.
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The autopsy says the cause of death was blunt force trauma, but it’s not known how long after the accident she died and whether she could have been saved. De Adams was "visible to anyone looking inside," according to the autopsy attached to the original claim against the city.
The claim also indicates she “sustained survivable blunt force injuries from the collision."
According to a copy of the lawsuit found on Courthouse News, the family is suing the city, the SDPD, responding officers, Roadway Towing and the convicted drunk driver for negligence, civil rights violations and acting in disregard for the victim.
The collision happened a week before De Adams' next birthday. Complaint records indicate her adult daughter Natalie reported her mother missing after she failed to respond to her birthday call. All the while, her mysterious disappearance had happened in plain sight.
The family spokesperson says Lopez had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. He pleaded guilty to DUI causing great bodily harm.
