Nov 4, 2009 12:08 am US/Pacific
7th Arrest Made As Rape Victim Speaks Out
RICHMOND (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
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A police officer leads a suspect in the gang rape of a Richmond High School girl into a patrol car Tuesday.
CBS
A seventh suspect was arrested Tuesday in connection with the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside Richmond High School's homecoming dance last month, police said.
The arrest came just hours before the victim issued her first public statement about the attack. It was read by a community advocate at a rally and vigil on the school campus Tuesday evening that was attended by students, school officials and others.
"Violence is always a wrong choice," the statement said. "We realize people are angry about this, but let the anger cause change; change that is necessary to keep our children, our neighbors and our friends safe. We thank everyone for their love, support and ongoing prayers."
Earlier Tuesday, a 21-year-old Richmond man - whose name was not immediately released by authorities - was arrested by a police SWAT team at a home in the northern part of the city about 7 a.m.
He was being held on $1.25 million bail on suspicion of rape, rape in concert with force and other charges that could lead to life in prison if convicted, said Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan.
"His bail reflects the severity of his crimes and the role we believe he played in this crime," Gagan said.
Police did not immediately know whether the suspect had attended the high school.
Prosecutors have filed charges against five others in the case, including 18-year-old Jose Carlos Montano late Monday. The four other suspects charged are San Pablo residents Cody Ray Smith, 15, and Ari Abdallah Morales, 16; Pinole resident Marcelles James Peter, 17; and Richmond resident Manuel Ortega, 19.
One of the suspects, 21-year-old Salvador Rodriguez, was jailed but later released after prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to charge him.
Gagan said authorities were still looking for more suspects in the case and were "actively pursuing every lead."
Investigators believed as many as 10 people participated in the Oct. 24 assault, and numerous others watched.
Police do not yet have lab results from physical evidence collected at the crime scene, Gagan said. That process usually takes several weeks and could provide evidence to support existing arrests, and potentially identify new suspects, he indicated.
The victim spent five days in the hospital after the attack, according to Gagan.
Following the brutal attack, school district officials
had new lighting installed around the school, a plan that was already in the works before the incident.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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