Thread: Juveniles charged as adults in gang-rape case, UPDATED

Juveniles charged as adults in gang-rape case, more arrests likely

Police in Richmond, Calif., say as many as 10 young men may have assaulted a 15-year-old girl in the weekend gang-rape outside her school's homecoming dance, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Five people have already been arrested, including three juveniles charged as adults with rape.

Police say they expect to make additional arrests in the case, the Contra Costa Times reports.

A sixth person remains in custody and may be charged later this week, authorities say, according to the Chronicle.

Police say the assailants, ranging in age from 15 to their early 20s, committed a "slew of crimes" against the girl, including raping her, beating her and stealing her jewelry.

The young men laughed and shot photos with cellphones as they took turns assaulting the girl, police said.

About 200 students, teachers and community leaders rallied outside the campus after school Wednesday to condemn the rape and to say they wanted people to know the crime was not representative of their campus, the Chronicle says.

"I am devastated," said senior Norma Bautista, the Chronicle reports. "I'm here because I want everybody in Arizona, in New York, everywhere they are, (to know) that we are not criminals. We are the future leaders. I see people call us animals. Why don't you look at those of us who are trying to make a change?"

Watch a Contra Costa Times video report of the rally below or click here.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 6806171001

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... s-likely/1

lock em up for LIFE!!! Hopefully they will know what being raped is like in prison!!

How many of those 200 at the rally walked by when this tragedy was being commited and did nothing? Our future leaders? Ha!!!

4 arraigned in gang rape of Calif. girl at school

By TERRY COLLINS, The Associated Press
2:14 p.m. October 29, 2009

RICHMOND, Calif. — Wearing bulletproof vests, three teen suspects appeared for the first time in court Thursday on charges of gang raping a 15-year-old girl outside a high school dance while as many as two dozen people watched without calling police.

Defendant Cody Ray Smith, 15, pleaded not guilty, while Ari Abdallah Morales, 16, and Marcelles James Peter, 17, did not enter pleas during their arraignment in Contra Costa County Superior Court.

Peter's aunt, Monica Peter, said before the hearing that her nephew had told her he was only a bystander and did not participate in the attack.
Asked why he didn't do anything to stop it, she said he feared "he would get his ass kicked."

The defendants wore the vests for protection, but sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee could not explain further. Morales was sporting a black eye from a separate incident, authorities said.

Morales' lawyer, Ernie Castillo, said he was still learning details about the case.

"I don't know what limited role, if any, my client played," Castillo said. "This was a tragic, horrible incident that happened to this young woman."
Reports have indicated onlookers laughed and joked during the attack. Police would not comment on rumors the episode had been recorded on cell phones.

Smith, Morales, and Peter were each charged with rape in concert and sexual penetration with a foreign object. They were being held without bail and could be eligible for life in prison, if convicted.

They were charged as adults because of the severity of the crime, which showed "callousness and viciousness," prosecutor Dara Cashman said.

"It's just very cold," she said after the hearing.

Another suspect, 19-year-old Manuel Ortega, was arraigned separately but did not enter a plea. He is charged with rape, robbery and assault causing great bodily injury. He is being held on $1.2 million bail.

Salvador Rodriguez, 21, also remained jailed but has not been charged.
Police said the victim left the homecoming dance at Richmond High School and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the school courtyard.

The girl had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said. The girl's father tried to call her cell phone but no one answered.

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.

She was released from a hospital Wednesday.
Police are still looking for more suspects in the Saturday night attack and believe as many as 10 people ranging from 15 to the mid-20s may have attacked the girl for more than two hours in a dimly lit area.

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... dex=191091

Check out the names

Cody Ray Smith, 15

Ari Abdallah Morales, 16

Marcelles James Peter, 17

Manuel Ortega, 19

Salvador Rodriguez, 21

6th Person Arrested in Gang Rape of Girl After Homecoming Dance

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,570 ... latestnews


RICHMOND, Calif. — The number of people arrested in the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside a high school dance in Northern California has increased to six and could get higher, authorities said.

Jose Carlos Montano, 18, was arrested Thursday evening outside his San Pablo home. He was being held on $1.3 million bail, on suspicion of rape, rape in concert with force and other charges, Richmond police said.

Authorities were still looking for suspects, and have said as many as 10 people ranging from 15 to the mid-20s may have attacked the girl for more than two hours Saturday in a dimly lit area.

Montano's arrest came after three other teen suspects appeared in court for the first time Thursday.

Cody Ray Smith, 15, pleaded not guilty, while Ari Abdallah Morales, 16, and Marcelles James Peter, 17, did not enter pleas during their arraignment in Contra Costa County Superior Court.

Smith, Morales and Peter each were charged with rape in concert and sexual penetration with a foreign object. They were being held without bail and could be eligible for life in prison, if convicted.

The three were charged as adults because of the severity of the crime, prosecutor Dara Cashman said.

Another suspect, 19-year-old Manuel Ortega, was arraigned separately but did not enter a plea. He is charged with rape, robbery and assault causing great bodily injury, and is being held on $1.2 million bail.

Salvador Rodriguez, 21, also remained jailed but has not been charged.

Peter's aunt, Monica Peter, said before Thursday's hearing that her nephew told her he was only a bystander and didn't participate in the attack. She said he didn't do anything to stop the attack because he feared "he would get his ass kicked."

Morales' attorney, Ernie Castillo, said he was still learning details about the case and didn't know "what limited role, if any," his client played in the attack.

Cashman said her office has received numerous calls and e-mails about the case, mostly "expressions of outrage from all over the country."

Police said the victim left the homecoming dance at Richmond High School and was walking to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the school courtyard. The girl had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said. Her father tried to call her cell phone, but no one answered.

Police said they 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.

Authorities have said as many as two dozen people watched the attack without calling police.

The girl was released from a hospital Wednesday.

Cody Ray Smith, 15

Ari Abdallah Morales, 16

Marcelles James Peter, 17

Jose Carlos Montano, 18,

Manuel Ortega, 19

Salvador Rodriguez, 21

Richmond gang-rape victim was reportedly a 'churchgoer' struggling to fit in

Contra Costa Times
Posted: 10/29/2009 11:46:29 AM PDT
Updated: 10/30/2009 09:01:18 AM PDT

RICHMOND — With today's arraignment of the suspects in the gang rape at Richmond High School, international media interest in the case continues to be high in cyberspace.

One story getting particular attention this morning is based on comments made by the victims' friends at a safety meeting held at the school Wednesday night.

In an article posted on CNN International, a picture begins to emerge of the 15-year-old victim, who had come alone to her homecoming dance, "gorgeous in a sparkling purple dress and faux diamond baubles."

Kami Baker, 16, a junior at the school, and her younger sister Barbie, took the podium and told school district officials they and the victim have felt "extremely unsafe," on campus due to the lack of police officers and security officers.

Baker described the victim as a churchgoer who struggled to fit in at Richmond High.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13669485? ... ost_viewed

Good. I am glad they are beaing tried as adults. I hope they get the harshest sentence possible.

Suspect in Richmond gang rape won't be charged

The Associated Press
5:10 p.m. October 30, 2009

RICHMOND, Calif. — Authorities say one of six suspects arrested in connection with the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside Richmond High School's homecoming dance will not be charged.

Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan says prosecutors will not file criminal charges against 21-year-old Salvador Rodriguez due to insufficient evidence.

The Richmond resident is expected to be released from jail later Friday.
Prosecutors have filed charges against four other suspects in the case. A fifth suspect, 18-year-old Jose Carlos Montano of San Pablo, remains in custody on $1.3 million bail. He has yet to be charged.

Gagan says authorities are still looking for suspects in the case. The victim was attacked after leaving a homecoming dance at the high school.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... dex=191728