A furniture store is facing legal action in Missouri after a family alleged negligent and deceptive business practices linked to the sexual assault of a child during a carpet installation at their home.
© Nejron | Dreamstime
The lawsuit, filed in Cass County on behalf of an eight-year-old child identified as Jane Doe and her family, follows the conviction of Enrique L. Martinez, a third-party installer who pleaded guilty in January 2026 to two counts involving a child under the age of 12. Court records show he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The store in question is Nebraska Furniture Mart.
According to authorities, officers were called to a home in Peculiar, Missouri, in June 2025 after reports that a child had been assaulted. Investigators said Martinez was part of a crew installing carpeting at the property and was arrested at the scene.
The claim states that the family purchased new carpet from Nebraska Furniture Mart and believed the work would be carried out by the retailer's own trained service team. Instead, the installation was subcontracted to Tapia Flooring, which is also named in the suit.
The family further alleges that adequate background checks would have revealed Martinez was using another person's social security number and was not legally authorised to work in the US.
Additional claims state that, after the incident, the retailer declined to complete the installation and informed the family they were no longer welcome to shop at the store.
Nebraska Furniture Mart has denied the allegations, expressing sympathy for the family while stating that the claims made against the company are untrue.
Source: www.kctv5.com
