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Declaration sheds light on pizzeria sexual assault allegation
Jura-Aghassi-jpg
Jura Aghassi

 

 

Court papers filed shortly after a sexual assault complaint was made against a former Oakdale pizzeria owner give insight to the circumstances surrounding his Oct. 20 arrest by Oakdale Police.

Stanislaus County Superior Court records show that the 19-year-old victim filed for a restraining order on Sept. 23 seeking protection from Jura Aghassi, 59, and outlining the events that occurred in a backroom of Jura’s Pizza on North Yosemite Avenue in Oakdale the evening on Sept. 14. The restaurant closed shortly after Oakdale Police detectives initiated a criminal investigation that was sparked when the victim contacted the police the morning following the alleged assault.

The victim’s sworn affidavit states she had just started working at Jura’s Pizza and was at work when she was called into a back office by Aghassi. When she arrived, an under-aged female co-worker was in the office with Aghassi drinking beer. Aghassi offered the victim a beer and the co-worker informed her that Aghassi would provide alcohol to all minor workers when they wanted to drink.

According to the affidavit, the female co-worker left the office and Aghassi placed a can of beer in front of her. When the victim told him she was underage and wasn’t interested, he opened it for her telling her to have “a cold one.”

Aghassi allegedly made comments about the victim’s breast size, comparing them to another 17-year-old female co-worker’s and then showed pictures of that co-worker’s bare breasts he had on his cell phone.

The victim stated that Aghassi said he paid the co-worker for her to send the pictures to him and he then placed $200 on the desk in the office.

Aghassi told the victim that he had turned off the security cameras for the office, something he claimed to frequently do when female co-workers were in the office.

The victim’s statement details that Aghassi moved close to the victim, restraining her movement and tried to take her shirt off but she refused. He then tried to remove her pants and put his hands down her pants assaulting her while she tried to push him away.

During the assault, the victim reported that Aghassi made statements that she “was his” and “if I see you with anyone else, you won’t like it.”

She also claimed Aghassi stated that what occurred in the office, stayed in the office, and threatened her with violence if she reported the incident or future incidents to anyone.

Aghassi then instructed the victim to not wear a bra or underwear on her next work shift in order to have sex with him.

After the victim reported the incident to police, Aghassi continued to call and text the victim making threats and demanding that she drop the charges.

The victim was able to catch some phone images for the restraining order application.

The victim claims one text she received from Aghassi read, “We warned you to drop the case and you obviously are not taking it seriously so you will see what happens next.”

Another text to the father of the victim’s two children, an infant and toddler, read, “If you want your child to have a mother you better tell her to drop the case with the police. No more talking to them, no more information being given.”

The court granted a temporary restraining order to the victim on Sept. 24 and police eventually arrested Aghassi on Oct. 20 after an investigation that included a search warrant and sending his cell phone for forensic analysis.

Aghassi is currently out on $200,000 bail with his next court date on Nov. 20.