The Houston law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is hosting a press conference on Wednesday, September 5 th at 1:00 p.m . to discuss the lawsuit. .
Firm Partner Benny Agosto, Jr. of the law offices of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner filed a lawsuit today against Ben E. Keith Company for failure to secure its premises that resulted in the shooting that occurred at the Ben E. Keith Company food warehouse located at 725 Cravens Rd., Missouri City, Texas on August 21, 2018. Francisco Joel Reyes, married father of three, was killed and one other person was wounded.
It is reported that an employee, Kristine Peralez, entered the unsecured facility, armed with a semi-automatic handgun. Kristine Peralez then opened fire on Francisco Joel Reyes and shot another employee, Fredencio Janas, before leaving the facility. A confrontation with a responding police officer ensued and shots were fired. Kristine Peralez was shot in the chest, transported to a local hospital, and pronounced dead there soon after.
At the time of the shooting, Ben E. Keith Company, the property and business owner, knew that the facility could be a target for criminal activity or workplace violence. A security company had been employed by Ben E. Keith Company up until about a month before the shooting in response to prior threats of workplace violence at the facility. The reason for the security company’s discontinuance has not been provided and a new security company was not retained.
“Our investigation so far has revealed that Ben E. Keith Company failed to provide adequate security on the premises. The duty to make the property safe for their employees and invitees was reasonable and necessary, but unfortunately it was ignored. Ben E. Keith Company failed to provide adequate security for its employees and this tragic and preventable shooting was the result,” said Mr. Agosto.
The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is hosting a press conference on Wednesday, September 5 th at 1:00 p.m. to answer questions regarding the lawsuit. The press conference is open to all media and will be held at the firm’s office, located at 800 Commerce Street, Houston, TX, 77002. For questions regarding the press conference, please contact Madison Kauffman at (713) 222-7211 or [email protected].
Benny Agosto, Jr. is a Partner at the Houston personal injury law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner. For questions regarding the lawsuit, please contact Mr. Agosto at (713) 222-7211 or [email protected].