Mentally disabled man raped in bathroom at work, police say

The GBI is investigating after a mentally disabled man was raped in a bathroom at his job in southwest Atlanta Sunday morning, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The 21-year-old victim, who has the mental capacity of someone in the eighth grade, was about to start his shift at No Mas! Cantina on Walker Street when he was sexually assaulted, according to a police report obtained by Channel 2.

A 21-year-old man with the mental capacity of someone in the eighth grade was about to start his shift at No Mas! Cantina in Castleberry Hill when he was sexually assaulted, Atlanta police say. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

“He went to use the restroom to get ready to start his shift,” the victim’s father told the news station. “That’s when he says he heard the bathroom door open. The next thing you know the guy kicked the door stall on him and snatched his pants.”

The restaurant manager called the victim’s work coach at Briggs and Associates, a company that helps adults with disabilities find jobs. But the father, who asked Channel 2 not to identify him, said the manager didn’t call police.

Restaurant owner Walt Bilinski disputed that in a statement.

“We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer,” he said. “We take the safety of all our employees very seriously. As soon as this incident was reported, we notified the appropriate authorities and are cooperating fully with any investigations.”

The victim has not been back to work since the attack, according to his father.

“It’s not fair for a kid to have a disability, (and) be taken advantage of like that,” he said. “Especially at work.”