A woman accused of sexual assault earlier this year after pulling down a teenager’s skirt at a restaurant has taken drastic measures to make money since losing her job.
Ida Lorenzo, 48, was fired from her role at the Utah Attorney General’s office on April 25, the same day she was formally charged.
But Lorenzo has now blamed her dismissal on ‘circumstances beyond my control’ and in an attempt to earn some extra cash she has set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of generating some form of income until she gets a new job.
“My career and only source of income are currently on hold indefinitely, and it is urgent that I reach out to raise funds to help my two sons and myself during this difficult period,” Lorenzo wrote, asking for condolences pleaded. .
‘I am a single mother and have never asked for help until now. My son is a suicide survivor (bullied in high school) and I am a domestic violence survivor. For the first time in my life I could use the help myself. Any amount of your generosity would be greatly appreciated.”
So far, Lorenzo has raised less than $500 of her $5,000 goal.
Ida Lorenzo was charged with a Class A misdemeanor following the April 20 skirt-pulling incident in the lobby of a Japanese steakhouse in St. George, Utah. A TikTok video of the altercation, filmed by one of the victim’s friends, later went viral
Ida Lorenzo, 48, has now started a GoFundMe after being fired. Her two sons are pictured on her donation page, where she aims to raise $5,000
Lorenzo appeared in the 5th District Court in St. George, Utah, earlier this week in what was her first court appearance since being charged with a Class A misdemeanor in April.
In Utah, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and fines up to $2,500.
Lorenzo was captured on video at a busy St. George restaurant pulling the teen girl’s skirt before telling her to pay attention to “what she was showing, especially with small children around,” an affidavit said statement from the police.
She told officers she put on the teen’s miniskirt and claimed the young woman exposed her buttocks and vagina in the lobby for the children.
During the 36-second viral video, the young woman’s friends can be heard telling Lorenzo, “You can’t touch her.”
She also appeared to flash a badge and say, “I happen to work for the state,” as she threatened to call child protective services.
The next day, Lorenzo was the one who called 911 to report harassment related to the unpleasant encounter.
She was charged April 25 in 5th District Court with sexual assault, a class A misdemeanor.
Lorenzo’s employment with the state AG’s Washington County office was terminated the same day.
She had only been on the job for about six weeks and was hired by the firm as a legal secretary on March 4.
Lorenzo was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane and released after posting bail. She is seen here just before her arrest. She was fired the same day
Lorenzo is seen being walked to a police car after her arrest on April 24
Footage of the incident was posted to TikTok and has been viewed more than 14.5 million times
The termination letter reads: “I am writing to inform you that you have not successfully completed your probationary period and that today, April 25, 2024, you will be separated from state employment at the Attorney General’s Office.
“Your failure to adhere to policies and standards regarding performance contributed to this decision.”
According to police documents, the night of the attack, Lorenzo approached the young woman and pulled down her skirt.
“This caused all the people who were with her to accuse (Lorenzo) of sexually assaulting the woman,” police records state.
Lorenzo told authorities that she “never” touched the other woman’s skin, and that she only “touched the woman’s skirt.”
An officer told her that she had still “engaged in criminal behavior by touching the woman’s clothing, and that her behavior was not appropriate.”
The officer explained that touching someone’s private parts was against the law, even if it was just clothing.
The incident occurred on April 20 at the Sakura Japanese Steakhouse in St. George, Utah
After the incident, the teen contacted police to report that she had been “sexually assaulted while in the lobby” of the St. George restaurant.
Lorenzo had “confronted her” while her back was turned, and without any notice or formal warning, she felt cold hands run up her skirt and touch her buttocks before she felt her skirt being pulled, the report said. Police. .
The young woman said she felt “shocked” and “violated” by the encounter after Lorenzo came up to her without warning and pulled down her skirt from behind.
She denied that her genitals were visible and explained to police that she was wearing underwear at the time.