Outrage over gang rape of 15-year-old girl; more arrests made overnight

Outrage grew in a Bay Area town over the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl as police made more arrests overnight.

National attention has been focused in Richmond over what police described as a gang rape of a 15-year-old student who struggled with attackers -- some of whom took photos and laughed -- as more than a dozen witnesses passed by and did nothing. Police said last night that as many as 20 people saw the attack, and some might have shot video on their cellphones.

"We are outraged that this happened," Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin told reporters Tuesday.

Overnight, Richmond police served search warrants at the homes of several suspects and arrested three people, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to five.

The girl was repeatedly assaulted Saturday night at Richmond High School after she left a homecoming dance early to wait for a ride from her father. At least seven males beat, raped and eventually robbed the girl in a dark alley behind campus during an ordeal that lasted two to 2 1/2 hours, according to Richmond police.

Two people -- a 19-year-old former Richmond High student and a 15-year-old student at the school -- were arrested Saturday and Monday in connection with the assault, which began about 9:30 p.m.

The suspects allegedly described how some of the attackers laughed and took photos of the girl with cellphone cameras as she was being raped, said Det. Ken Greco of the Richmond Police Department.

"It was a pretty brutal scene," he said.

Police said they had received numerous tips from outraged students and witnesses. 

"We're getting more information about who was there and who played what role," said Lt. Mark Gagan.  "The physical evidence is pretty supportive of the direction we're going."

He declined to elaborate on the evidence, citing the ongoing investigation.

Police were alerted after a female student overheard people talking about a rape. She called 911 and told dispatchers what she had heard, Gagan said.

Police said the victim was still being assaulted when officers arrived on the scene. The suspects fled as officers found the girl lying in the alley. She was unconscious and naked from the waist up, Gagan said.

The former Richmond High student, Manuel Ortega, 19, was arrested a few blocks away Saturday night and booked on charges of rape, robbery and kidnapping, police said. The 15-year-old was booked on suspicion of felony sexual assault.

Gagan said that alcohol had been consumed at the scene but that toxicology tests were pending.

-- Robert J. Lopez

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Comments

[Cancan]

Thank you to the one female who was not there during the rape, but overheard the rumor, and reported it. She sets the example in stopping sexual violence. One brave young
girl!

[Windy City]

This, sadly does not surprise me at all. It sickens me, but it doesn't surprise me.

[G. I.]

I hope those low life's get what they deserve. I am so sick and tired of innocent children getting hurt. Why didn't someone HELP? Where was the chaperones for the party? Why wasn't an adult outside? It's time for street justice!

[SG]

Kill em all! The filthy little bastards watching and participating should be exterminated!

[Emily]

Wow! How can people do this, and think it's ok?! This gets me mad!! poor girl! I'll be praying for you! =) hope those boys get what they deserve.

[jodie]

Whose sons are these? I want to meet their mothers. I cannot understand how our culture has come to this! These males are like a pack rabid dogs. Give me a gun!

[Juan Diego from Socal]

These guys will get what they deserve, a hefty prison sentence, then learn that rapists are no better than child molesters in the other inmates eyes. They will learn what it's like to be victimized with no escape, no place to run. This is the way it is, sex offenders are not treated fairly or with any dignity for the remainder of their sad pathetic lives and if they survive prison, they will never have a job, an apartment, children and a family or be allowed to live anywhere within the City Limits, except under the bridge, homeless with nothing but their dirty clothes and shopping basket. Our prayers go to the victim and the families.

[Nikki]

So did the dad come to pick her up and just leave when she didn't show? Because I know my dad would've come inside looking for me...and then he would've been pissed that I made him drive all the way to school and made him wait in the parking lot. So what did her dad do????

[Melissa]

Where was the father that was supposed to pick her up?? Something here is not right.

[Summer]

These boys who beat and gang-raped this child are evil rapists pedophiles. They will only get worse as they get older. They should also be beaten half to death, and thrown into a den of pitbulls for 2 hours then drag their asses accross town. No mercy. By the way it is a felony to give alcohol to a child. It is a felony to abuse, molest and rape a child. It is a felony to have photos of child rape and child porn. They should all be hauled off to jail.

[reader]

wondering how many "undocumented" immigrants participated this crime. in arizona most rapes commited by illegals.

[Joseph]

"This, sadly does not surprise me at all. It sickens me, but it doesn't surprise me."
-Windy City

That's exactly how I feel. And I'm a bit saddened that it doesn't surprise me.

[Astonished]

Unfortunately, the courts have a tendancy to go easy on underaged offenders. Personally, I think they should all be sent to prison as fodder for any Bubba that wants them. If the courts can't do that, then they should neuter these losers so no one else's child has to suffer.

[NYC]

Public floggings and death penalties are needed for these kinds of perverts. Send them all to Saudi Arabia.

[Megan]

This is a disgraceful commentary on the state of some of the youth of this country. Okay, we can ask where was her dad... But I think we should really ask, "How did the parents of the assailants raise these kids?" and I'm using the term "raise" loosely. I hope justice is served here, that the boys who did this and the ones who watched are punished more than by the criminal justice system but by their hearts as well...although it appears they don't have one to allow such a brutal attack to continue for so long -- but beyond that, I hope the US as a whole raises up and says NO MORE, that kids & adults report crimes and intervene when possible. I couldn't live with myself if I allowed something like this to happen and I hope we can instill that in the general population. This is embarrassing.

[Fred]

Manuel, meet our friend Bubba.

[jc]

Insert glass rod into the urethra of each of the boys and SNAP!
Then lower them into a tub of starving piranha.

[Let me guess the names]

Happy now? "Stop snitching" is part of hiphop culture = of of the facets of multiculturalism we're all supposed to embrace, for not to would be "racist."

[Jon]

Justice would be shooting these animals in the head. The "adults" involved should be killed no question.

[Jackie]

From what I have read, she was on her way to call her father, so he wasn't on his way or waiting already.

It is disgusting that todays youth condone harming a child and watching. All who were there should be arrested and tried as adults.

That poor child has a long road ahead of her, we are sending our prayers to her and her family

[starship]

The lowlife TRASH who gang raped this poor girl (as well as the maggots who watched and laughed!) deserve to be tortured endlessly! Only a soulless monster could do such a thing. I hope all the criminals are sentenced to life in prison without the possibiliity of parole and raped everyday by a cellmate named Bubba.

[anonymous]

There is a lot of missing information from this article. I watched CNN and during the interview with a Lieutenant of the police department it was said that she walked to another place on the campus and jumped a fence to get to a dark secluded alley way where all this happened, apparently there was alcohol involved as well. I am in no way saying that it was the victim's fault that this horrible thing occured to her - I am just saying that there is a significant amount of information that is missing and it is difficult to understand exactly what happened based on this article. I have a 16 year old daughter who attends school dances. Depending on the school they may allow teens to walk in and out of the dance, leave the dance early, etc. It is possible that she left the dance early and her father went when the dance actually ended. What I wonder about the most - is that there were spectators as well as assailants...the spectators had to jump that fence to get to the area where this girl was being raped and beaten...then they had to jump the fence again to return to thier friends who they told about the assault - what happens to those individuals who went to witness then stood by and allowed it to happen without protest...I can understand being afraid for your own safety, but as soon as they were away from the scene why didn't they notify an adult? something shoud happen to them as well as the assailants.

[outraged]

so let me get this straight...Other witness took video with their phones but didn't use those same phones to push 3 little numbers???? WTF?? And out of all those witnesses NO ONE CALLED FOR HELP??? Ok I get it, you don't want to intervene and possibly get hurt, BUT YOU CAN'T CALL 911?!?! Why did the information have to get passed around before someone called 911???? I just don't get it

[Ray Bus]

This is a horrible story and is totally aberrant re "today's youth".

It's shocking, and apparently fodder for cynics everywhere. It's sad that media sensationalism has such primacy online.

Tragic. Just tragic.

[pitbullstew]

I just cant wait to hear from the parents of these little momsters who may be convicted of this, lil johnny is not to blame, hje did nothing any one esle did not do, and just wiat till the blame is put upon the victim when the trials come before a judge or jury, least we forget the privacy and rights of the juvenile offenders here huh? and oh nor should we forget the people who raised the witnesses who said nor did nothing as this was happening, so far as I am concerned?
The state can come in and take over this school district and the PD for this having happened under their very noses.
Heck? Even the cities charter can be disolved as well?
A home coming event that truns in to something like this?
ANIMALS ALL!

[Ivonne]

I know my dad would have came out looking for me to see where the heck I was.

[Shawna]

I think everyone who picked up their phone FIRST to record the rape rather than dialing 911 should be apprehended as well! It has nothing to do with "hip-hop" culture. It's about raising a child to do the right thing.

[Kint]

I think there might be some misinformation - another article says she was naked from the waist down. Here, it says naked from the waist up.

[SC]

Every high school in the country should be talking to their students about this. What happened to "No means No" - "If something bad is happening you report it" - "Help someone in need". There's a segment of our children who have become desensitized animals lacking any kind of compassion or moral compass.

[Tyler]

I just heard about this in Gov. Class and just to think that no-one called the police and no teacher or parent didn't see twenty kids chilling in a dark alley is just hard to believe. I feel terrible for this girl and justice needs to be served! Eye for an Eye

[Cassidy]

I find it so outrageous that people are pointing fingers at chaperones, school officials, and the father of the victim. What this school needs just as much as heightened security is a community-wide DIALOGUE about violence, respect, and the dangers of the mob mentality. I'm glad that from all corners of the country, Americans are disgusted--hopefully the public outrage will help bring the attackers to justice. And for the other men who just stood by? I can only hope they are scorned from the school, the community, and their family and friends. What a shameful day for California.

[Juan R.]

The following comments are only directed at attorneys, politicians and policy makers reading this.

First, thanks to CA law the only thing you can carry to protect yourself is about 1.5 oz. of pepper spray. Therefore if I see something like this I am NOT getting in the way of this mob. If I were armed, then I could put a few shots in the air.

Second, in another report (USA Today) it said witnessing a crime against someone younger than 14 is a CRIME if you do not intervene.
Really?
Is the state going mandate a special ID tag or wristband outside ones home to differentiate ages? I can't magically tell the ages of any two given kids in the street.

Is the state going to compensate citizens for risking their safety up to, and including their lives to intervene?

Is the right to object going to be decided by the supreme court, and at what expense?

Lastly, I understand that "ignorance of law is no excuse", but that is when you do an action, not when you fail to take an action in a situation you did not choose to be part of.

[bsbfankaren]

Please. I cannot get this young woman out of my mind. If anyone knows of any place where cards or letters can be sent, please post it. And if anyone knows of a fund set up to help her with the rehabilitation she will need as well as college or the ability to live somewhere where she will feel safe, please also post everywher you can.

Let's make sure this beautiful child knows that she will never be alone again.

[Hagop]

Yeah it's a cultural thing. If you see the surnames of the rapists, you can see what culture they are from.

[Jim]

I DO HOPE THE POLICE ARE SCANNING *YOUTUBE* FOR ANY POSSIBLE VIDEOS-so the uploaders can be arrested-the event might not show up as graphic enough to register complaints

[TheWay]

Islamic law is the way to solve this.

[L.S.]

For a gripping account of what a rape victim goes through-- read Alice Sebold's memoir, LUCKY. This trauma persists for a very very long time.

[christ]

I'm pretty sure these guys were latino. Women get cat called and harrassed by guys all the time, but 97% of them are latino and I want them out of my country damn it. The central park sexual assaults where a mob of latin men terrorized innocent bystander women and ripped their clothes off.... The fact that you can't walk down the street without some midget mexican trying to harrass you for being female.... I finally decided to look up the sex offender registery of my city and guess what... at LEAST 50% on that list have names like Martinez, Lopez, Vasquez, Abreu, Valdez, Aristizabal..... and I don't even live in California! These are just the guys who got CAUGHT is all. All of you should check the registry online for your own cities and see if you get similar results to mine ... and then see if you still don't believe our borders should be controlled.

[james l causey]

be an thug in the streets ,be an thug in prison doing 20 to 40 .now thug that !!!!

[Alicia]

A sad commentary on the youth of today and the sick bastards that have so little self respect and regard for human life. I hope they all rot in hell.

[Mike S. Johnson]

Them boys just havin they fun.

[CIERRA]

THAT'S ASHAME SOME ONE NEEDS TO DO SUMTHANG ABOUT THIS. YOUR ALWALYS IN OUR PRAYERS WISH DA BEST LIL GIRL HOPE U FELL BETTER

[timothy ruffin]

I think that in this great country of America we as a society has become barbaric. To think that we as a society worry about terroism is completly nuts, when we have tragic things such as this rape that took place in Richmond Ca.. I mean my own country that i fought for in the miltary cannot control the gangs, the serial killers, the rapist,the child molesters,the drugs,the bullying in our schools,but yet we consider ourselves in this great country cilvlized. We in our country should really sit back and take first a very hard look at us as a country and say to ourselves that enough is enough. This incident along with a host of others has to stop, by all means necissary. We have become so prone to this kind of activity unil it's evey day news and no one gives a damn unless it's at our idiviual doorstep. So next time you hear of Terroism, please don't flinch, don't react just accept things as they are.

[NON-YA]

PUT THEM IN PRISON POPULATION. IT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF

[steve rodriguez]

Sadly we've heard this story before in our society, and we'll probably hear it again!

[steve rodriguez]

No amnesty for fruit-pickers!!!!

[steve rodriguez]

A culture that does not honor education and promotes dropping out of school, will produce this type of low character people ( and I use the term loosely)!

[Kevin]

This is sickening. My prayers are with that girl and her family. I hope the people that perpetrated this crime suffer as much as humanly possible and then some.

[Kevin]

This is sickening. My prayers are with that girl and her family. I hope the people that perpetrated this crime suffer as much as humanly possible and then some.

[Rachelle]

Why didn't anyone try to stop them if they are walking by witnessing this act. I would have jumped in and pulled her out cussing them all out. This is pathetic how people don't help people.

[Tina]

This is beyond disgusting! How can those people live with themselves? The people who did nothing should be jailed on charges of being inhumane. I don't care how old the victim is. As for the pigs who committed the crime they better go to jail and then they will know what it feels like to be raped!

[jgmurphy]

Well doesn't this beat all.Not only did these dumb apes rape and brutalize her but they were actually brain dead enough to incriminate themselves by creating an electronic and verifiable RECORD of their felonies on their cell phones! Boy, good for her. Better to be attacked by stupid criminals than smart ones. The DA will have a field day with this case. Hope they get 100 years apiece.

And speaking of rape, they will find out how pleasant THAT is for themselves when they are in the lockup with some of the most hardened criminals in the country.

[hey]

i bet there black

[Vini]

San Quentin...all the way...I hope they catch all the animals that participated in the rape.

[JD in NC]

This kind of filth is all over the internet, rapes, group sex.etc....time to censor this crap! Time for internment and work camps for gangsters and their welfare moms.

[Noelle]

This is beyond disgusting it shows what happens when a bunch of animals band together and are lucky enough to be sourrounded by cowards!! This is marked on the souls of EVERYONE who knew and did nothing.We all know there are groups of people that are rapists and they rape together but what just kills me is that people not a person but a number of people didn't react in any way.They say fear could be a motivator but even when your scared for yourself a HUMAN could not stand by and watch such a outrageously horrible thing occur.Even for a stranger.If you did choose to run it should be for help not to giggle and act so callous as to spread the video aound.Every person who posted that video should be considered an accessory to rape and assault and punished as harshly as the actual rapist and even further I hope there comes a time in each of their lives that they are in desperate need and everyone looks away and they remember how they themselves acted that night.My heart goes out to that girl and her family especially her father who has to be full of guilt that maybe he didn't come sooner.It's not his fault that those creatures were preying there that night.

[Noelle]

This is beyond disgusting it shows what happens when a bunch of animals band together and are lucky enough to be sourrounded by cowards!! This is marked on the souls of EVERYONE who knew and did nothing.We all know there are groups of people that are rapists and they rape together but what just kills me is that people not a person but a number of people didn't react in any way.They say fear could be a motivator but even when your scared for yourself a HUMAN could not stand by and watch such a outrageously horrible thing occur.Even for a stranger.If you did choose to run it should be for help not to giggle and act so callous as to spread the video aound.Every person who posted that video should be considered an accessory to rape and assault and punished as harshly as the actual rapist and even further I hope there comes a time in each of their lives that they are in desperate need and everyone looks away and they remember how they themselves acted that night.My heart goes out to that girl and her family especially her father who has to be full of guilt that maybe he didn't come sooner.It's not his fault that those creatures were preying there that night.

[momofthree]

There is a simple reason why the information is incorrect the first couple days of breaking the story. In poor areas most people distrust the police therefore they are hesitant in talking with them. The police know this and have to put the story together with several witnesses stories. This sometimes skews the facts of the story in the beginning, but eventually the truth does come out.

[ralph Petrillo]

Well, these individuals need to be brought to justice, where real justice awaits them in jail. Cowardly acts will meet the wrath of the imprisoned.

[ralph Petrillo]

Well, these individuals need to be brought to justice, where real justice awaits them in jail. Cowardly acts will meet the wrath of the imprisoned.

[Peggy]

OMG!!! THIS IS NOT ASSAULT.....THIS IS ATTEMPTED MURDER AND THE ON LOOKERS SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO RENDER AID! AND THE ONLY REASON IT ISN'T CLASSIFIED THAT WAY IS BECAUSE OF THE WORD "RAPE." RAPING A WOMAN IS MURDER!!! AND A GOOD LAWYER BETTER PROVE THAT OR GIVE UP HIS PROFESSION!!

[mike]

It is a damn shame our society allows this. When I say allows this I mean that the bastards were not killed on site and should have been. To the low life that give these child rapists flak vests to wear for the arraingment you should be shot along with them. I have three little girls myself and I will tell GOD and everyone the desert is rather large. When it comes to the protection of my family, I take it more than serious. By saying that, I mean that I can not depend on the U.S justice system to take care of an issue like this. I will handle it swiftly and correctly. The justice system would rather take money from my famiily and I to house the waste of oxygen these individuals are. They are fortunate I was not in the area and seen or heard anything. I stongly agree that the American society is weak now which also shows on many other fronts as well. It is not time to be tied up in conventions but to put fourth the effort to take care of business. What the hell were the people doing watching and videoing with cell phones when they should have been beating ass and calling 911. I am completley digusted at the actions of all involved to include the police first on scene that could not run after the perps. It is time to have a standard for police and it not include over weight and donuts.

[wilfordson]

leave it to a buncb of spicks to rape a 15 year old girl. leave it to a bunch of other spicks to not call the police.

[Andrea]

U.S. society is sick, this is a problem that begins in the families and in schools, why arent teachers and parents teaching values???? How sick is it to laugh at a child who is being raped? to tape it? and not do anything about it?

[GZILAN]

I saw the video of the attackers entering the cop car with a smile on their faces, shouldn't we be thinking of putting the so called "snitches" in protective custody from other members of the attackers gang/s ?

I saw her on the Dr. Phil show and I think they would have been better off not showing her face or airing her voice. She looked scared on the Dr. Phil show :O