Thread: New Bedford woman gang raped early Saturday at waterfront

Police: New Bedford woman raped early Saturday at waterfront

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbc ... 011/TOWN10

By Brian Fraga
Standard-Times staff writer
June 05, 2007 6:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD — A city man is charged with being part of a group of men who forced a 37-year-old woman into a pickup truck and raped her.

Police arrested Douglas A. Lopez, 29, of 587 S. Second St. after the victim picked him out of a photo lineup Sunday. Police also seized a pickup truck owned by Mr. Lopez.

The victim told police that Mr. Lopez and several other men approached her while she was walking in the area of South Second and Blackmer streets around 2 a.m. Saturday.

She said the men forced her into the truck, drove her to the waterfront and threatened to kill her unless she had sex with them. Court records said the men kicked and punched the victim and tore at her clothes.

Mr. Lopez, who was arrested in February and charged with a home invasion in which he allegedly threatened to kill his wife with a machete, was arraigned Monday in 3rd District Court.

Judge David T. Turcotte revoked Mr. Lopez's bail on the home invasion case Monday, requiring that he be incarcerated until that case is resolved. He set $100,000 cash bail on the new charges.

Court records indicated that Mr. Lopez's previous bail was revoked because of the "horrendous facts" of the new charges against him, the seriousness of his previous case and questions regarding his immigration status.

Mr. Lopez might have immigrated from El Salvador, according to court documents.

He is charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to rape, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a pretrial hearing.

The New Bedford Police Sexual Assault Unit is looking for the other suspects involved. It was not known Monday how many suspects were being sought.

Mr. Lopez was arraigned Feb. 26 on charges of home invasion, assault and threatening, in which he allegedly entered his estranged wife's New Bedford apartment brandishing a machete.

He allegedly held his wife's friend, who was staying in the apartment, by the throat in one hand and held the machete to her throat with the other.

A police report said Mr. Lopez told his wife he would kill her unless she left with him.

Judge Turcotte set a July 27 trial date for Mr. Lopez's home invasion case.

Just hard-working good people trying to give their families a better life.

Absolutely sickening!