Woman Accuses Murrieta Mayor of Sexual Harassment

MURRIETA (KUSI) – Alongside her attorneys, Ramona's Kathleen Smith stood in front of Murrieta City Hall Thursday to announce publicly her accusations against Murrieta Mayor Harry Ramos of groping, sexually pursuing and attempting to force himself on her during a party earlier this year.

Mayor Ramos quickly called all of the accusations, "completely false."

According to Smith, Ramos initiated her during a January "Mega Mixer'' at the Murrieta Spectrum Mall on January 22 of this year.

"I was sexually abused as a child, and this brought it all back,'' Smith told City News Service after the briefing. "It has caused a lot of emotional trauma. It's very disappointing that somebody with power would take liberties and assert that power to prey on someone like me.''

Smith's attorney, Dan Gilleon, added that, "He was very aggressively coming onto her — very, very overtly," and described the scene as, "He grabbed her butt. She was shocked, but she agreed to let him walk her to her car. As they're walking, he kisses her, sticks his tongue down her throat and tries to block her way." Despite Ramos' behavior, Smith decided to give the mayor a ride to his car. where he then climbed "over into her seat and puts his hand up her skirt. She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't want to make the guy angry."

After Smith "politely asked Ramos to exited the vehicle, he did.

Gilleon also acknowledged that both Smith and Ramos were drinking alcohol at the mixer event.