Widow of attorney gunned down in parking lot of shopping mall files wrongful death suit
The widow of a 30-year-old attorney gunned down last year in the parking lot of an upscale shopping mall has filed a wrongful death suit against the owners of the mall, contending that a security cutback led to the death of Dustin Friedland.
The owners of the Mall at Short Hills should have anticipated that more security was needed to prevent carjackings, says Jamie Schare Friedland in her complaint. She said prior crimes at the facility and the fact that its high-end stores were likely to attract customers with late-model vehicles sought by thieves should have prompted the owners to have security officers on hand, reports the Star-Ledger.
The Friedlands were returning to their 2012 Range Rover when he was shot to death last December.
“Despite these repeated incidents and the grave threat posed to its shoppers and patrons, several years ago, the Mall ceased hiring police officers to provide security at the mall, citing budgetary concerns,” wrote attorney Bruce Nagel, who is representing the plaintiff, in the complaint.
A representative of Taubman Centers, which owns the mall, could not be reached by the newspaper for comment.
Friedland is seeking unspecified damages in the Newark Superior Court case
Four men charged with murder in Dustin Friedland’s death are awaiting trial.
Hat tip: NBC New York
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “4 charged in slaying of lawyer in high-end shopping mall parking lot”
