Wrongful Death Lawsuit Expected in Fatal Petco Park Accident

The family of a mother and her son who fell to their deaths at Petco Park earlier this month are considering a wrongful death lawsuit.

A wrongful death lawsuit is being considered by the family of a woman and her two-year-old child “who died when they fell from a third-level dining area at Petco Park.” The tragic incident that claimed the lives of Raquel Wilkins and her son, Denzel Browning-Wilkins is being investigated. According to witnesses, the mother and son fell “over the railing to their deaths prior to the start of a Padres game.” One witness said that “Wilkins appeared to lose her balance after jumping up on a bench of a picnic table near the railing.”

Shortly after the incident, San Diego police noted the deaths seemed suspicious, though “few details have been made publicly available about the circumstances of the case.”

Since this incident, attorney Daniel Gilleon met with the Wilkins family and said the family is “sophisticated, educated, and very somber.” He added that the family is “in the process of putting together a joint funeral with some family still en route to the area.” He went on to say:

“Raquel graduated from a university in Florida with a psychology degree and was working as an administrator to help people who have come out of high school that don’t have the credentials themselves to get into colleges.” 

He added that Raquel “had been in a relationship with the child’s father for six years, living together for four years and that they’d decided to have a child together.”

When Todd Gloria, the mayor of San Diego, was interviewed about the incident, he said “there were unusual circumstances around the case that we continue to investigate.” Gloria added that “there were witnesses who were clearly traumatized by the events that unfolded and addressed the mental health crisis in the community that he argues has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Gilleon was not pleased with the mayor’s words, though. In fact, he even reached out for an apology and said:

“Todd Gloria doesn’t know what he’s talking about there…and it was very insensitive to make that comment about someone he doesn’t know at all and for the family to come into San Diego to deal with all of this stuff and then realize the mayor of San Diego is defaming their loved one…And, by the way, the police are just about to release the names. What does that mean? As soon as police release the names, a media onslaught again and the narrative has already been set by Todd Gloria.”

In response, the mayor’s office issued the following apology:

“The Mayor is sincerely sorry that he offended this grieving family…He was attempting to make the point that the COVID-19 pandemic has put an additional mental strain on all of us and that it is okay to ask for help for any emotional challenges they might be experiencing. The Mayor and our entire City continue to grieve this family’s devastating loss and will do all we can to support them during this difficult time.”

Asked about the family’s decision on whether or not to file a lawsuit, Gilleon said:

“The only way I can start issuing subpoenas and doing the investigation the police should be doing is by filing a lawsuit, getting a superior court case number and once I have that, then as an attorney, I have subpoena power and I can make people answer questions.”

Sources:

Family lawyer of mother, child killed in Petco Park fall says wrongful death suit imminent

Family of mother and toddler who fell to deaths at Petco Park to file wrongful-death suit