Suspects in Richmond gang rape case to get life in prison

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From today's San Francisco Chronicle:
5 now in custody in Richmond gang-rape case
by Henry K. Lee and Kevin Fagan

(10-28) 19:05 PDT Richmond -- Three juvenile boys arrested in the rape, beating and robbery of a 15-year-old Richmond High School student were charged as adults Wednesday and could face life in prison if convicted.

The boys, ages 15, 16 and 17, were among five suspects that had been arrested in connection with the crime as of Wednesday. Police were continuing their investigation and expect to make more arrests.

Police said they now believe that as many as 10 young men may have assaulted the girl Saturday after she left her school's homecoming dance. They initially said that about six young men attacked the girl.

The three juveniles were each charged with rape in concert and penetration with a foreign object, authorities said. The 16-year-old also faces a robbery charge.

The first suspect arrested in the case, Manuel Ortega, 19, of Richmond, was charged Wednesday with rape in concert, rape by force, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury.

Another suspect, Salvador Rodriguez, 21, of Richmond, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of rape in concert. He remains in custody and may be formally charged later this week, authorities said.

The latest arrest happened at 11 p.m. Tuesday when the 17-year-old boy turned himself in at Richmond police headquarters, Lt. Mike Gormley said. Officers went to the boy's Pinole home earlier but didn't find him, police said.

The younger boys are both from San Pablo.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/28/MN621ABOF6.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea#ixzz0VL0SYGAO

I'm glad these scumbags are gonna rot for the rest of their pathetic lives in prison and possibly will experience every week what they did to that poor girl. Because you know how brutal inmates can be to each other right?

Additionally, there was a rally at the high school to dismiss negative perceptions of Richmond:

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, despite the negative reputation of the crime-plagued city.

"I am devastated," said senior Norma Bautista, her voice cracking with emotion. "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?"

Most speakers blamed the rape at least in part on degrading, dehumanizing societal attitudes toward women.

Congrats to them.

And finally, for some entertainment, a (very bigoted?) comment from someone who follows the San Francisco Republican meme that the SF government is soft on crime because its district attorney (Kamala Harris in case you didn't know) opposes the death penalty and the city has a sanctuary city policy. It was the third-most recommended comment for this story.

If they are illegal and they buy a BART ticket to SF are they free ?

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1. Update: The four suspects are now named and arraigned.

Bulletproof vests for rape suspects in court
by Kevin Fagan
San Francisco Chronicle

(10-29) 13:45 PDT RICHMOND -- Amid tight security and with weeping relatives looking on, four young men arrested in last weekend's gang rape at Richmond High School had their first day in court this morning.

Only one, 15-year-old Cody Ray Smith of San Pablo, entered a plea - not guilty - during the brief arraignment hearing in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Richmond.

Two of the others did not have attorneys yet and so did not enter pleas, and the fourth suspect's attorney declined to respond to the charges, saying he needed more time to speak to his client.

snip

Smith and two other suspects, Marcelles James Peter, 17, of Pinole and Ari Abdallah Morales, 16, of San Pablo, are juveniles being charged as adults. They all face felony counts of rape in concert, otherwise known as gang rape, and penetration with a foreign object. Morales is also charged with felony robbery for allegedly stealing the girl's jewelry.

The boys are being held at juvenile hall in Martinez on no bail.

The fourth suspect, 19-year-old Manuel Ortega of Richmond, is charged with rape in concert, robbery and assault causing great bodily injury. He is being held in county jail on $1.2 million bail.

And now more bizarre: The race card!!!

Peter's family accused prosecutors of having racial motives in charging him. Peter is the only black suspect named in the case. Smith is white, and the other suspects are Latino.

Peter "didn't have anything to do with this," his aunt said. "He said everyone was just walking past, and he just kept moving when he saw something was going on.

"He's a good kid with no criminal record who likes to play soccer," she said. "I am going to prove his innocence.

"My nephew is scared," she added. "He is the one they've arrested who is black, and if they give my nephew a life sentence, I will sue Richmond. There is no way in hell I will see my nephew blamed in this because he is black."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/29/BALE1ACE6J.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea#ixzz0VMTpEACT