Family files lawsuit over man's drowning death in Demi Moore's pool
LOS ANGELES -- The parents of a young man who drowned in Demi Moore’s swimming pool a year and a half ago are suing - but not the actress.
CBS Los Angeles reports that the plaintiffs in the suit are the Tree House Trust that owns the Beverly Hills home, and Bessy Wong and Lenny Hernandez, the hosts of a party where the drowning happened on July 19, 2015.
Authorities said the death of Edenilson Steven Valle, 21, was accidental.
But according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by the victim’s parents, Jorge and Maria Valle, the young man had said he could not swim, making it unlikely he voluntarily entered the deep end of the pool.
The suit claims Hernandez “hosted a party with alcohol,” and there were “abundant dangerous conditions at the premises,” including the 10-foot-deep pool, for which Valle received no warning.
“House manager Lenny Hernandez knew there was drinking that night and in fact she was serving alcohol at a party which was unsafe to host,” the lawsuit states.
There were no depth markers on the pool, “likely” no functioning lights and numerous decorative rocks that someone could trip on, the plaintiffs claim.
Authorities said Moore was not home at the time. The actress later released a statement saying she was in “absolute shock.”
“I was out of the country traveling to meet my daughters for a birthday celebration when I got the devastating news,” the actress said. “The loss of a child is an unthinkable tragedy and my heart goes out to this young man’s family and friends.”
The Valles are seeking unspecified damages on wrongful-death and negligence allegations.
Hernandez and a representative for the trust could not be reached for comment.