Rape victim wins civil suit against Houston's Galleria mall

HOUSTON (AP) - A woman who was abducted at the Galleria and sexually assaulted has won a civil lawsuit against the mall and its security firm.

A Harris County jury on Thursday awarded the woman more than $3 million in damages stemming from the 2003 attack in a parking garage at the luxury shopping center.

The victim, who worked at the mall, sued the Galleria's parent company, HG Shopping Center, L.P., and its security provider, IPC International Corp.

The suit accused the shopping center and the security company of not warning employees that a predator had attacked other women in the mall's parking garages that summer.

"It's a wake-up call to the Galleria that you need to enhance your security," said the woman's attorney, David Matthews. "When you know there's a pattern of crime in the parking garages you must warn employees and customers."

Joe Garnett, an attorney for IPC, said the firm is considering its options, including an appeal. HG's attorney could not be reached for comment.

Juan Reyes Solis, 24, was convicted last year of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to 80 years in prison for the attack on the woman.