A Dollar Tree lawsuit is moving forward in San Diego after three women said they were sexually attacked while shopping at the same store in Southern California. The claims, reported from a Clairemont Mesa Boulevard location in San Diego, also led to criminal charges against a 22-year-old locally based U.S. Marine.
The three alleged encounters were reported over two weekends in March 2025 at the Dollar Tree on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. In each case, the women told police that a man came up closely behind them while they were shopping and that they later noticed a substance on their clothing. One woman said she found the substance in her hair as well. The Marine has since been charged with misdemeanor lewd conduct and misdemeanor sexual battery in connection with the three incidents.
His attorney, Isaac Blumberg, said the Marine maintains his innocence and argued that the accusations have not been tested in court. βItβs worth remembering the record at this point consists entirely of one sideβs allegations, none of which have been tested in court,β Blumberg told the Union-Tribune. Dollar Tree, meanwhile, has denied the allegations in the lawsuit and said it takes reports of inappropriate, unlawful, or harassing behavior seriously.
The San Diego case is part of a broader legal fight that stretches beyond one store. One of the women is suing the company in San Diego Superior Court, and at least 11 women nationwide, including the three in San Diego, have alleged similar encounters inside Dollar Tree stores. The affidavit tied to the case says videos of the behavior have shown up on pornography websites and that the trend has become so widespread it has inspired a SoundCloud track, a cryptocurrency coin and a custom PokΓ©mon card.
