By Brian Hews<\/p>\n
Publisher | Follow X<\/a><\/p>\n April 24, 2026<\/p>\n Just one week after Los Cerritos Community News first reported<\/a> on the $8.4 million jury verdict against the City, a second lawsuit has surfaced\u2014this time alleging wage theft<\/a>, off-the-clock work, and systemic labor violations inside another City department.<\/p>\n Filed April 8 in Orange County Superior Court<\/a>, the complaint by former Recreation Specialist Misty Torres accuses the City of failing to pay for all hours worked, denying required meal and rest breaks<\/a>, and issuing inaccurate wage statements over a nearly seven-year span.<\/p>\n According to the filing, Torres was officially scheduled for four-hour shifts but routinely worked full-day schedules\u2014often from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.\u2014to keep the Tiny Tots program running, all while being capped at part-time hours.<\/p>\n The lawsuit claims City management knew about the extra work but imposed strict hour limits anyway, creating what the complaint describes as a \u201cpredictable and unlawful result\u201d: either leave essential work undone or perform it off the clock.<\/p>\n