Four teens could appear in court as early as Thursday (10/29/09) after being charged in the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside her high school homecoming dance in Northern California.
The four--ages 15, 16, 17 and 19--were charged Wednesday with rape and enhancements that they acted in concert, which could make them eligible for life in prison.
"These are people who played a significant role in the incident," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan said. "I'm confident that more arrests will be made."
Besides rape, the 19-year-old, Manuel Ortega of Richmond, was charged with robbery and assault causing great bodily injury. It was unknown if he had an attorney.
The other three face one count each of felony rape with a foreign object. They were charged as adults because of the severity of the crime, Gagan said. The 16-year-old also faces robbery charges.
All four remained in custody Wednesday. A fifth suspect arrested Tuesday, 21-year-old Salvador Rodriguez of Richmond, also remained jailed but had not been charged.
The alleged gang rape and beating Saturday (10/24/09) night at Richmond High School rattled the city of about 120,000 in the San Francisco Bay area.
Police believe as many as 10 people ranging in age from 15 to mid-20s attacked the girl for more than two hours in a dimly lit area. As many as two dozen people witnessed the rape without notifying police.
Dana Cashman, head of the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office sex crimes unit, told the Contra Costa Times, a Bay area newspaper, that those who witnessed the alleged rape and did not report it could face aiding and abetting charges--if it can be proven that their actions facilitated or goaded the perpetrators.
Police hope a $20,000 reward will bring more people forward with information.
Police received a tip about a possible assault on campus from a former student, who heard two males bragging about it. Officers found the girl semiconscious and naked from the waist down near a picnic table.
Margarita Vargas, who was watching television Saturday night with others at her home two blocks from the school campus, told the newspaper that she reported the assault as soon as she heard about it. The newspaper did not say whether Vargas was a student at the school.
"They think it's cool," Vargas said of the alleged perpetrators. "They weren't raised to respect girls."
Gagan said the victim, a sophomore, left the dance and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard. The girl had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said.
Gagan said the girl's father tried to call her cell phone, but no one answered.
She was released from the hospital Wednesday (10/29/09).
This article, written by Terry Collins, AP, is copywrite 2009 by The Associated Press.
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This is a really sad situation its always hard to hear a bout rape victims, but when the victims had no chance at all to defend her self makes it even worse. Not to mention this victim was left in horrible shape. I personally think that all the guys involved should recive very harsh penalties and would not be surprised to see them all pay monetary compensation because of their actions along with their sentance. Hopefully the police can gain enough evidence for the prosecution to put these four behind bars, and I can easily see them all being chards as adults.
ReplyDeleteDaniel L.
This particular case is extremely shocking on multiple levels. 1. what would cause those four young men to do this to a young girl? 2. It is hard to believe that none of the estimated two dozen witnesses notified the police. 3. It is hard to comprehend that all of those witnesses just left her there to suffer and possibly die even after the attack ended.
ReplyDeleteThis is a crazy case. I believe the police are going to have a hard time trying to figure out everything that happened that night. I would bet that nearly everyone (witnesses, and attackers) will all lie. I believe this because if no one cared enough to notify police, then no one will care to tell the truth.
Just sad. Sick school.
Jordan Hilliard
Sorry I left something out.
ReplyDeleteI think that the article is distasteful because of the fact that they noted that she was very drunk BEFORE the attack began. It makes it seem as if the rape was partly her fault. This may seem extreme and feminist but the alcohol is not responsible. It is the young men who attacked her.
Jordan Hilliard
It is true that this situation is very disgusting. The crime of rape is one of the worst crimes. Sexually based crimes are considered especially hannis. I do not agree with the act of the crime but I do think that the alcohol does have a bigger role than above claims. She was drinking and put herself in a vulnerable situation. Girls now a days need to think about being as safe as possible and being by herself and drinking is not doing that. I do think the boys should be tried as adults and punished harshly. A life term in jail seems fair. But to prevent these types of things from happening girls need to be as careful as possible and obviously that wasn't the case.
ReplyDeleteBatman
This just proves that there is a large majority of our population who have no respect for other people. It is unbelievable that someone in their mid twenties would do this to a 15 year old. Not to mention there were many mid 20 year olds. There must have been at least 10 people involved in the rape; this little girl will be traumatized for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteJustin Davis
I have to say that I feel bad for the Father that was waiting. Not really sure what he was thinking. I would personally have gone looking for my child in frustration wondering where the heck she could have run off to. Maybe the article was unclear on that point but it seemed to say that this all happened while the father was supposed to pick her up. While it is true that certain men aren't brought up with a respectful view of women, I do not believe it is unique to the times. I believe the bystanders that saw but failed to report should be charged to the highest degree. Those that could be confirmed to have been there and seen what was going on. However, it sounds like it would be difficult to prove, unless someone makes a testamony. Rape is so terrible, it takes a lot away from a person. In some aspects it's worse then murder because it's consitered murder of the soul. It destroys the spirit of the raped, with lifelong reprocussions even if there was no physical damage done.
ReplyDeleteTrevor Pullinger
I can't believe something like that happened. Not only was she raped by the individuals, but people around them were just watching it happen. They are just as responsible as the one's who raped her. It blows my mind how no one stepped in, or called the police. I hope they all serve the maximum sentence possible for this crime. Even the one's who just watched.
ReplyDeleteJustin Brock
It's crazy to think that something like that can happen. It's terrible that so many people watched the event and not one of them deemed it neccessary to call the police. I don't think any of the bistanders will be convicted of aiding and abetting, but each one of them needs to take a look at themselves in the mirror. The people who just watched the event left a sour taste in my mouth just as much as the ones who committed the rape.
ReplyDeleteTom Weise
to think that there are people like this in the world makes me sick and everyone like these people need to be locked up for the rest of there life the girl needed to think twice bout her actions but that definitely is no reason for them kids actions they should be locked up for good
ReplyDeleteDillan York
that is so sad..u cant even send yur child to a school dance without her getting hurt...and just thought of people standing there watching it and not saying anything i think makes them just as sick..the world is a messed up place to be in right now..i feel like people need to think if that was them they would want the help they needed so they should do the same for her..she is in my prayers..
ReplyDeleteQuierra Adams
I agree that the rape was a terrible thing and that all those boys deserve the harshest of punishment, but you can't say that the girl being drunk was distasteful for the article. Her being drunk is what most likely caused her to be the target due to how vulnerable she was. The witness all did what is one of the more common things people do. They passed the responsibility. The ones that didn't report it did so because they thought that either A) someone else already did it or B) Someone else will do it. I don't understand why it is always so shocking when people hear that so many witnesses did nothing because thats how it always turns out.
ReplyDeleteMitchell Anderson