Warning: This article contains disturbing details
A former Northern California horse trainer was last week accused of sexual assault by a woman and ordered to pay $9 million in damages.
Ali Herbertson, who was working at Golden Gates Fields in Berkeley at the time of the incident, was charged with sexual assault, forcible sexual penetration and assault with intent to commit a sexual offense, according to FOX 2 San Francisco. These charges were dropped in a plea agreement.
The suspect was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, and has pleaded no contest. He was sentenced to one year in prison and two years suspended, according to the East Bay Times.
San Francisco’s oldest toy store closes due to inflation, ‘danger and violence’ of downtown crime
The victim accused Herbertson of slipping a date rape drug into a mimosa at Golden Gate Fields in January 2019. The woman, a former law enforcement officer, said she felt “she instantly became inebriated” after she took a few sips of the drink.
Ali Herbertson was originally charged with sexual assault and forcible sexual penetration. (FOX2 San Francisco)
Herbertson and another suspect allegedly took the woman to a nearby field and raped her, documents said.
The victim told the court she had undergone police training to preserve evidence of the assault.
Judge Jeffrey Brand told the court there was a “high probability” that the suspect was guilty and ordered him to pay a whopping $9 million.
ACLU lawyer and criminal justice advocate arrested in Oakland shooting incident
General aerial view of Golden Gate Fields Racetrack in Berkeley, California on December 31, 2023. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
In his order, the judge noted the severity of the consequences for the victim as a result of the assault.
“Plaintiff also testified that she was concerned that any beverages she purchased in public were laced with drugs,” Bland wrote. “Plaintiff said she intentionally gained about 50 pounds to make herself less attractive so she wouldn’t be raped again.”
March 19, 2020: Horse racing continues without spectators at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California due to coronavirus concerns. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Click to get the FOX News app
“She also stated that she was experiencing memory loss, which was characterized as having a ‘hole’ in her brain,” the judge added.
