Second woman joins lawsuit accusing Stripes employee of rape

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McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A second woman has come forward and joined a lawsuit that accuses a Stripes employee of rape.

Irma Moreno filed a lawsuit in January against Stripes, accusing Juan Francisco Briones of violating her. Now, a second victim is joining the lawsuit.

_{Juan Francisco Briones (Photo: Hidalgo County Jail)}

The second woman was an employee of the Stripes when Briones demanded she have sex with him in September 2022, according to a news release from her attorney, Israel Perez.

She reported the incident to a manager, but was "ridiculed and punished" by Stripes, the release stated.

Original Lawsuit

On Nov. 21, 2023, Moreno went to the Stripes, located on 5600 block of N. Ware Road in McAllen looking for a job. Two days later, she went to the Stripes again, this time as a customer. This is when she states that Briones followed her to the women's restroom, locked the door and assaulted her.

On Nov. 23, 2023, Briones was arrested on a charge of sexual assault. His bond was set at $50,000 and he was released three days later, records show.

“He is currently out walking free right now,” Attorney Perez said. “Ms. Moreno is kind of terrified for her own safety.”

In the lawsuit, Moreno requested that the store fire Briones.

According to Perez, Stripes has responded by going on a smear campaign against Moreno.

“Stripes is doing what so many abusers do in these cases,” Perez said. “They are trying to discredit, gaslight, and humiliate Ms. Moreno in an attempt to intimidate other victims from coming forward."