Richmond, CA (The Weekly Vice) – Salvadore Rodriguez, 21, Manuel Ortega, 19, and three juvenile suspects aged 15, 16, and 17 were arrested this week after authorities received a terrifying report that a 15-year-old had been brutally gang-raped while her peers not only watched, but took pictures of the rape with their cell phones.
According to Richmond Police, the alcohol-fueled rape, beating, and robbery that took place at a local high school Saturday night may have included as many as ten assailants, and even more witnesses who watched the attack and did nothing to help.
Investigators say the young girl was leaving her Richmond High School homecoming dance Saturday when she was invited by a classmate to drink in a secluded campus courtyard. It is believed the girl was intoxicated at the time of the assault, and that as many as ten young males beat and raped her for two hours.
Investigators say that at least a dozen bystanders watched the attack, refusing to intervene. Many witnesses instead opted to laugh and capture the rape on their cell phones.
Responding officers found the girl semi-conscious in the courtyard when they arrived. She was rushed to a local hospital by life-flight where she is recovering from non-life threatening injuries.
After the arrests of Ortega and the 15-year-old suspect, police obtained warrants and sent SWAT teams to secure additional arrests.
Ortega was booked on charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury, rape in concert, and rape with violence. He is being held on $1.23 million bond.
The three juveniles were booked on charges of rape in concert and penetration of a foreign object in concert. The 16-year-old suspect also faces a robbery charge. They will all stand trial as adults and are currently being held without bond.
Rebecca Diamond
The Weekly Vice
www.theweeklyvice.com
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26 comments:
is there any reason why the "witness" arent being charged with something??
I read about this in the local paper, I'm happy that they found more of the suspects. Castration?
Heather got there first this morning. " ... watched and did nothing to help"? Oh, please, arrest them too.
I am outraged! Everyone that was involved in this horrific crime needs to be held accountable! Including the witnesses who stood by and watched without the human decency to get help for this poor young girl. Shame on them! They should be ashamed of themselves! Such a disgusting crime!
This girl will never forget how so many people stood by while she was being brutalized. I am ashamed to share air with these people.
Me too Laura. Let's not give them anymore air.
Here's a little fun fact that's sure to piss everyone off...
In what is likely an attempt to strengthen their case against the suspects, the DA has assured the public that any witnesses to the attack (including those who took pictures and laughed) will NOT be charged if they come forward.
What the hell ever happened to civic duty?
Civic duty hell… what about upbringing? What kind of morals are they teaching out there these days? I have a 3yo and 5yo who already know that you hold doors for the ladies and never ever hit a lady. It is hard to imagine the parenting that the rapists had, but the spectators aren’t any better. I can’t believe no one did anything to stop this.
These pretty little Latins will find out soon enough what it's like to be gang raped :)
Rebecca said...
Here's a little fun fact that's sure to piss everyone off...
In what is likely an attempt to strengthen their case against the suspects, the DA has assured the public that any witnesses to the attack (including those who took pictures and laughed) will NOT be charged if they come forward.
What the hell ever happened to civic duty?
I believe the courts via lawsuit from some bleeding heart organization did away with civic duty to report crime.
And our public schools did away with the any chance of the parents instilling them. (forget any personal responsibility)
I should add the public schools administrators vice the teachers themselves along with lazy parents.
The difference is one is a 'legal duty' and the other is a 'moral duty'.
People who lack morals apparently have no duty.
eh, i wonder if most of the witnesses were not sure if what they saw was consensual....and what the fuck is a 19 year old non student doing on campus? damn
Jay - that might be feasible except for one thing...
How many severe beatings and robberies are actually consensual?
These witnesses weren't just present for the rape. They were present for the whole thing. I find it hard to believe that as many as 20 people were all stupid enough to think that a drunk 15-year-old who was frequently ridiculed at school would consent to being gang-banged, beaten, and robbed, then left alone in a secluded area.
It defies not only logic, but any sense of common decency. I hope to Christ that every last one of the people that stood there, laughing and taking pictures, will close their eyes and see that scene over and over again - only instead of the victim, they'll see their mother. Or their sister. Or their daughter. I imagine it wouldn't be too funny to them then.
There was a story a couple of years ago where a Boeing engineer went to a farm to be screwed in the arse by a horse. His buddy filmed it. The horse ruptured his colon and he died from it. You can search for that story (and sick video) if you put 'mr hands' in a search engine.
The point being is this: It would be a nice punishment for rapist to get horse screwed up the arse. Then they would know what it's like to have a dick where they didn't want one. It doesn't hurt the horse any. It would be great to give them all some of that.
In that case, Ida, the guy filming the video was charged... So... It's illegal to stand by and film someone willingly being raped by a horse, but it's not illegal to film a 15yo girl get gang banged... Our justice system makes no sense...
Why didn't any of the chapornes notice this many kids missing from a dance? and I still dont understand how you can stand there and watch a poor girl being raped and beaten for hours wtf is wrong with them??
obviously, the people who got up close and personal to film it knew a crime was taking place...this is more about the causal observer who wasnt..that said, this school is a known haven juvenile criminals... Richmond is no paradise either
Gangsta mob mentality set in.
Well, given that theres video of the rape, this seems unlikely to be another Duke or Hofstra, so i say give them all twenty years. The entire thing seems to be just more evidence that people are becoming less human - its one thing not interfering for fear of becoming another victim, but not sneaking out and calling the cops? That's inexplicable, and there really should be law against not calling for assistance in cases where doing so places you in no danger.
Being local to the area, I can add a little detail about the "bystanders". In the jurisdiction they are in, there is no county, state or federal law that makes it a crime to witness and fail to report a crime. And, how the legal system works, when it works properly, if there is no law saying that something is illegal it is, by default, legal. Whether it is "moral", "right" or "civic duty" are not factors in our legal system.
Is this ok? That's another story. But, unless people are willing to get off their collective arses and call and protest their political representatives to make failure to report a violent felony a crime, this is ok by the law. (Note: I do not advocate making failure to report ANYTHING other than a VIOLENT FELONY a crime as the law would be too far reaching and would likely be abused by law enforcement and others. There have been too many laws passed that just referenced felonies or other broad categories of crimes that have had horrible unintended consequences.)
Reaper - eloquently put. You would think a state as liberal as California would have at least ONE law that looks out for the victim. As a California native, I'm a little ashamed to learn that such a progressive part of the country is so very far behind the times.
Heather - I have a feeling that a large number of the witnesses were probably not high-school aged and may have been friends of the assailants. But that's just a guess.
Women are victim of violent crime and rape every day at the hand of men. What have men done so far to prevent this? What have men done so far to end rape and violent crime toward women?
This is exactly why I am getting a gun turning 21 i would have shot them all
That’s a very wise decision Anon. You get some protection and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for it. Some liberals will try to make you feel like a criminal for wanting to protect yourself. And BTW you wouldn’t have had to “shot them all”, one or maybe two tops and the other cowards would have high tailed it.
In my opinion everyone involved in this situation at all should be held accountable just as much as the assailants due to the fact that it is just foul to think that as many people as there were there, noone had the slightest idea that it might be good to help this poor unsuspecting girl after a homecoming?
Think like you are in her shoes, and u just hav a good night with ur friends at a dance, u decide to leave and go drink... now im gonna stop there as she should hav been more aware of something like that happening.
Now also, she was raped with a foreign object? Wtf is wrong with those sick lowlife punks?
someone get back to me
In 1986 just a month after marrying the woman of my dreams our 12 year old niece was raped and murdered in her home. I can barely fathomed her terror as that sweet innocent life was taken from this Earth.
There were apparaently 10 frenzied males perpetuating this horrendous act of violence amongst a watching mob-crowd. One can hardly ascertain what was taking place in the minds of the so-called bystanders as the haneous crime took place. Perhaps some were placed into a semi-concious state of terror themselves either by realizing they too could have ended up violated in some manner. Or merely this was yet another example of what has failed to take place within some of our children. After all just one call to 911 by any mobile device nearby would have at least stopped the crime sooner.
What was totally lacking was the presence of any young gentleman or gentlewoman. The absence of parental, civic and theological upbringing that once permeated our Amercian culture. Those of the Greatest Generation would have never allowed such an act to continue; save those elements of prejudicialism that their generation had not stamped out.
Alas. Where are the majority who shall lead and legislate in the years to come after we of the "boom" generations leave but our legacy behind.
Like myself, my late wife and I instilled upon our two wonderful sons the understanding of what it means to be a true American male gentleman. To never allow those about you to be dishonored or be taken advantage. To repect all others and especially of women. that if not to fight and serve this country as veteran then to live a life of honor and ethic.
We, as Americans must continue to seek freedom and justice as our forefathers set out to build some 240 years ago. To show the world that despite the ability for violence and dishonor given by such freedoms the vast majority shall take up what past generations held dear and foster yet more equality, understanding and tolerence within our American culture.
The just shall hopefully make sure these assailants and criminals will be tried fairly and if found guilty punished to the fullest. God shall assume the rest once their souls reach him.
As for the bystanders and those who took photos; we cannot easily put upon them the ethic and civic duty of our grandparents when we have allowed this generation to wallow in less than what they would have considered insufficient as citizen.
So let's take a look not only at their inaction but in the failure of current generation parents, clergy and others to foster what this country once held as proper behavior and action as adult, young adult and even adolescent.
JMHO
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