DMV Worker Under Investigation Over Accusation He Made Unwanted Advances During Driver's Test
SAN PEDRO (CBSLA.com) — A California Department of Motor Vehicles employee is being investigated after being accused of making unwanted sexual advances during a driving test.
As Don Galaz explains, when his phone rang last Thursday, he was expecting to hear his longtime family friend tell him excitedly that she passed her driver's exam.
Instead, he says, the 21-year-old woman told him her driving instructor at the San Pedro DMV made unwanted sexual advances while they were in the car together.
"We should have been celebrating. Now, when she looks at her license, she's disgusted," said Galaz.
The unidentified woman spoke on-camera about the incident, but asked that her face not be shown. She said the instructor asked her questions relating to whether she lived alone, had a boyfriend, and where she worked.
"He wanted to come visit me at work," said the woman, who alleges that the instructor became physical when he noticed her hands were sweating.
"He grabbed me by my right wrist and wiped it by his private area," she said.
The test continued she says and she passed.
"As we were getting ready to get out of the car, he says, 'Don't repeat anything we talked about,' " she said.
The next day, Galaz filed a police report and then went down to the DMV to confront the instructor.
He took a photograph of the instructor, which CBS2 has blurred because no arrests have been made.
He then posted about the alleged incident on his Facebook page. It has since gone viral, having been shared more than 37,000 times.
"I wanted to let other parents know that were in there, possibly with any of their children or their daughters that this man had some sexual predator behaviors that need to be addressed," Galaz said.
The DMV has placed the employee on administrative leave and explain that they are conducting their own investigation and are cooperating with the LAPD.
The LAPD is also looking into whether there are other alleged victims.
Galaz says he's received private messages from three women, who say the same instructor harassed them.
