Bar owner accused of raping passed-out woman must wear GPS monitor, stay out of bars

An owner of The Library Bar who stands accused of sexually assaulting a passed-out woman inside his downtown Fort Worth bar must wear a GPS monitor and stay out of bars and strip clubs, according to tightened bond conditions.

Israel Espiricueta cannot even be inside his own bar during business hours, officials confirm, but rather only when it’s closed.

Espiricueta was indicted in June on a charge of sexual assault.

He is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in December who had passed out inside his downtown bar after hours in an encounter that, police say, was caught on the bar’s surveillance cameras.

Under bond conditions in place since his February arrest, Espiricueta has been prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol.

But in recent weeks, social media posts alleged Espiricueta was seen visiting Fort Worth bars.

Steve Steward, a bartender at one of those bars, said Espiricueta had come into The Boiled Owl on Magnolia on Sept. 6 with two women, and that the trio placed their IDs on the bar to presumably order drinks.

Steward said he refused to serve Espiricueta after recognizing him from a Star-Telegram report about the alleged sexual assault and seeing his name on the ID.

“Israel Epspiricueta, (sic) aka the Library Bar owner who is accused of rape, is currently wandering around Magnolia with two women. If you are at work at a neighborhood business ..., here’s his face. I refused him service, and I hope you do, too,” Steward posted on Facebook after his encounter with Espiricueta.

On Sept. 14, State District Judge Louis Sturns signed off on additional bond conditions for Espiricueta, including that he wear a GPS monitor and stay out of bars and strip clubs.

Espiricueta’s defense attorney, Brandon Barnett, said Thursday that the new conditions had not yet been implemented and that a discussion on the matter was planned with the judge on Friday.

But that hearing never happened.

Steward, who had been subpoenaed to testify in Friday’s hearing, said he arrived at the courtroom Friday morning only to learn that his testimony was no longer needed because Espiricueta had agreed to take the GPS deal.

Barnett was in trial Monday and did not immediately return a message seeking comment.