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CNN) -- A California high school student who police said was gang raped in a two-and-a-half-hour assault outside a homecoming dance remained hospitalized in stable condition Monday, two days after she was flown from the attack scene in critical condition. As of late Monday, two suspects had been arrested in the case and a third was being questioned.
"There is one individual in custody who has made some spontaneous statements that have led me to believe that he is culpable for what happened," Richmond police Lt. Johan Simon said.
Nineteen-year-old Manuel Ortega, described as a former student at the school, was arrested soon after he fled the scene and will face charges of rape, robbery and kidnapping, police said.
A 15-year-old was later arrested and charged with one count of felony sexual assault. A third teenager was being interviewed, according to Lt. Mark Gagan of the police department in Richmond, California.
"Based on witness statements and suspect statements, and also physical evidence, we know that she was raped by at least four suspects committing multiple sex acts," Gagan said. Investigators said as many as 15 people, all males, stood around watching the assault, but did not call police or help the victim, a 15-year-old student at Richmond High School in suburban San Francisco.
"As people announced over time that this was going on, more people came to see, and some actually participated," Gagan said.
Authorities had interviewed the victim, and the search for other attackers and bystanders who watched and did not report the rape was in "full-court press," according to Gagan.
"We have checked Facebook and YouTube to try to find any revealing evidence," he said. "We're looking in particular to see if anyone posted any video of the incident."
Several other individuals were detained at the scene but not arrested, Simon said.
The attack occurred on school grounds as the annual homecoming dance was under way inside the school Saturday night, authorities said.
The victim was found unconscious and "brutally assaulted" under a bench shortly before midnight Saturday, after police received a call from someone in the area who had overheard people at the assault scene "reminiscing about the incident," Gagan said.
"She ended up with those guys under her own will because she knew one of the boys who had gone to the high school before," Gagan said. "Right now, we're looking at toxicology reports to determine her blood-alcohol content and to determine if she was drugged."
According to authorities, the victim was flown to an area hospital in critical condition. She was in stable condition Monday, police said.
"This just gets worse and worse the more you dig into it," Gagan said. "It was like a horror movie after looking at the evidence. I can't believe not one person felt compelled to help her."
I can not believe it, I really can not. How can someone watch this assault for two hours?
2 weeks ago another group of 15 year olds set that boy on fire and burnt him badly. What's just wrong with teens these days? We need harsher punishments for teens. This can't continue. There's nothing they can do to punish the bystanders. Should that change? Should you be able to punish someone for watching a crime ( and do nothing ) ? I say - hell yes!
They need to throw them all in jail for a very, very long time.
I can not believe it, I really can not. How can someone watch this assault for two hours?
2 weeks ago another group of 15 year olds set that boy on fire and burnt him badly. What's just wrong with teens these days? We need harsher punishments for teens. This can't continue. There's nothing they can do to punish the bystanders. Should that change? Should you be able to punish someone for watching a crime ( and do nothing ) ? I say - hell yes!
They need to throw them all in jail for a very, very long time.
Investigators said as many as 15 people, all males, stood around watching the assault, but did not call police or help the victim, a 15-year-old student at Richmond High School in suburban San Francisco.
Maybe if they could cling to their guns and religion in San Francisco they could have shot the b**tards and cared enough about the girl to intervene.
I can not believe it, I really can not. How can someone watch this assault for two hours?
2 weeks ago another group of 15 year olds set that boy on fire and burnt him badly. What's just wrong with teens these days? We need harsher punishments for teens. This can't continue. There's nothing they can do to punish the bystanders. Should that change? Should you be able to punish someone for watching a crime ( and do nothing ) ? I say - hell yes! They need to throw them all in jail for a very, very long time.[/quote]
I agree. At the very least they should be charged as accessories for not reporting it.
I don't know if there is a crime that they can charge the bystanders with - but clearly what they did (nothing) was immoral and shows a complete lack of human empathy. In my opinion, the bystanders and the rapists are less then human scum. Their names and faces ought to be shown so that the potential employers/coworkers/neighbors can know that these are 'people' not to be trusted.
And yes, they are 'teens'. So what? This isn't burglary and this isn't a case of smoking weed in the parking lot. This is a case of callousness and there is no 'maturing' that away.
How horrible. I wonder where this was in relation to the actual dance...I know at my high school teachers and security were constantly patrolling the parking lots and nearby areas. I can't even fathom how a person could watch this happen and do nothing
this was richmond. more in the cultural sphere of Oakland than SF, by the way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LauraC
Investigators said as many as 15 people, all males, stood around watching the assault, but did not call police or help the victim, a 15-year-old student at Richmond High School in suburban San Francisco.
Maybe if they could cling to their guns and religion in San Francisco they could have shot the b**tards and cared enough about the girl to intervene.
this is awful. i dont understand how this can happen. maybe the bystanders were too scared to intervene and get in the middle of the mob, but why wouldnt they alert chaperons or teachers?
its sad. young kids need to learn to look out for eachother, the way that kid on the school bus did when another kid was getting beat by some lil thugs.
Investigators said as many as 15 people, all males, stood around watching the assault, but did not call police or help the victim, a 15-year-old student at Richmond High School in suburban San Francisco.
Maybe if they could cling to their guns and religion in San Francisco they could have shot the b**tards and cared enough about the girl to intervene.
I don't know if its a good idea to arm 15 year olds and tell the to enforce the law. Maybe they should be armed with cell-phones and encouraged to call the police if they see something like that.
IMHO, anyone who stands by and does nothing while a crime goes down is a coward. Anyone who stands by and allows a crime like this to happen is a coward and much worse. I would rather risk death or great bodily harm myself than have to look at myself in the mirror after watching a young girl, or anyone, be brutalized, while no doubt begging for someone to help, and not having lifted a finger to give that help. Yes, these bystanders are just as guilty as the perps, in my eyes. They are vermin of the lowest order. What has happened to people? This is disgusting, and boils me over.
this is awful. i dont understand how this can happen. maybe the bystanders were too scared to intervene and get in the middle of the mob, but why wouldnt they alert chaperons or teachers?
Fear of retaliation. Sad, but true.
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