A Hispanic woman who sued the Township of Woodbridge, New Jersey, for excessive force and unlawful arrest will receive a $197,500 settlement, following a six-year legal battle over a police raid that she says left her bruised, bloodied, and traumatized.
Katiria Ortiz, who was 30 at the time, claimed officers entered her home without warning while she was showering, assaulted her, and falsely arrested her—all while searching for evidence connected to her ex-husband’s alleged drug activities.
The Raid That Sparked the Lawsuit
The incident occurred on June 21, 2018, when Woodbridge Police raided Ortiz’s South Amboy home. They were targeting her ex-husband, Joshua Pardo, who was being investigated for cocaine trafficking. Police had a warrant to search Pardo and his vehicle and had seen him visiting Ortiz’s home earlier that morning.
After Pardo fled a traffic stop and was seen discarding drugs from his car, officers suspected he may have called Ortiz to warn her. Minutes later, police forced entry into Ortiz’s home through the basement door with a battering ram.
Officers Juan Carlos Bonilla Jr. and Brian Jaremczak allegedly threw her dogs against the wall and stormed upstairs, breaking open her bathroom door as she stepped out of the shower.
Ortiz says she was struck in the face, lost consciousness briefly, and awoke to find herself naked and bleeding. According to her lawsuit, the officers never identified themselves as law enforcement and ignored her pleas to cover up. They reportedly threw her a house gown, mocked her questions, and eventually arrested her.
Police Dispute Ortiz’s Claims
The officers involved have maintained that they had a valid search warrant for her home and believed she might destroy evidence based on Pardo’s recent visit and criminal activity.
Bonilla testified that he believed exigent circumstances justified breaking into Ortiz’s home and kicking down her bathroom door after hearing water running and movement inside.
He claimed Ortiz was injured when the door accidentally struck her in the face, not by a weapon. He also argued she initially declined medical attention and only later requested treatment while in jail.
Officers said they recovered drugs, Pardo’s credit cards, and over $3,000 in cash hidden in the toilet. Ortiz, however, insisted the money was in her purse and that she never saw the backpack or drugs police claimed to have found.
Arrest, Detainment, and Aftermath
Ortiz was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including drug possession and obstruction. One of the more unusual charges accused her of throwing blood at an officer, a claim she strongly denied. All charges were eventually dismissed in May 2019.
She spent seven days in jail and lost temporary custody of her daughter, who was placed in her mother’s care by child protection services. Ortiz says the raid, arrest, and separation from her child caused her lasting emotional trauma.
Filing the Lawsuit
In 2019, Ortiz filed a federal lawsuit against the Township of Woodbridge and ten police officers. She alleged excessive force, assault and battery, false arrest, denial of medical care, and constitutional rights violations. Her amended complaint in 2021 also included her daughter as a co-plaintiff, citing emotional distress.
Ortiz argued that police had no probable cause to arrest her and had used unreasonable and violent force. She said the officers falsified records and misrepresented facts to a grand jury to justify their actions.
Settlement Reached in 2024
Although the parties had not yet completed a court-supervised settlement conference, they reached a private agreement in January 2024. Ortiz signed the settlement in February, and by April, both sides confirmed to the court that all claims had been dismissed without either party admitting fault.
The $197,500 payment was reported by TransparencyNJ, a government watchdog organization. According to the agreement, Woodbridge Township and the officers deny any wrongdoing but agree to pay the sum to resolve all legal claims.