A New York couple is suing the hotel they stayed at in 2021 for failing to provide adequate security, alleging they were robbed at gunpoint after opening their room door expecting Uber Eats.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn, names the Boro Hotel in Long Island City, Queens, and the corporations that own and operate the hotel as defendants. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit only identify themselves as John Doe and Jane Doe.
The violent robbery occurred after midnight on January 2, 2021, according to the lawsuit. Jane Doe heard a knock at the door and John Doe got up to answer it, thinking it was an Uber Eats delivery man.
“At that moment, two (2) men (“assailants”) pushed the door. One (1) male pushed plaintiff, JOHN DOE, to the ground and held a gun to his head,” the lawsuit states. “The other assailant removed the blankets from the plaintiff, JANE DOE, and bound her legs with a sheet. The two (2) assailants took Plaintiffs, JANE DOE and JOHN DOE’s wallets, jewelry, car keys, and sneakers and left the hotel room.”
The robbery caused emotional trauma to the plaintiffs that includes flashbacks, nightmares and other physical manifestations of injuries including palpitations and sweating, according to the lawsuit.
Lawyer Mark Shirian, who represents the 20-year-old couple, said in a statement on Monday: “The victims entrusted their safety and well-being to the Boro Hotel, expecting a safe and secure environment during their stay. Unfortunately, the hotel failed in its duty of care and did not maintain adequate security measures to prevent criminal activity on its premises.”
The statement continued: “This failure directly resulted in our clients becoming the targets of a heinous act, which caused significant emotional distress, physical harm, and financial loss. We strongly believe that hotels have the primary responsibility to ensure the safety of their guests. Negligent security, as alleged in this lawsuit, represents a breach of that duty.”
No one with the Boro Hotel, or its ownership, could immediately be reached for comment Monday.
The lawsuit alleged that dangerous areas existed in the hotel due to poor lighting, isolated areas, poor security, and lack of surveillance in or near the lobby.
After the robbery, the plaintiffs went to the lobby to report the crime and called the police, the lawsuit says. When the plaintiffs spoke to police, they were shown video of the suspects leaving the hotel, but they believed there was no video of the suspects entering the hotel, the lawsuit says.
New York City police did not immediately comment Monday on an update on the status of the case and its investigation.
The plaintiffs are seeking money damages for personal injury, assault and battery, and negligence on behalf of the defendants, according to the lawsuit.
