Monquasha Peter, right, 19, cousin of rape suspect Marcelles Peter, 17, is hugged by family friend Deborah Hamilton-Turnipseed, as they claim his innocence outside of a Richmond, Calif., courthouse, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009. Four teens were charged, including Peter, in the alleged gang rape and beating of a 15-year-old girl outside her high school homecoming dance in Richmond. (AP Photo)
On Thursday, four teenage males accused of beating and raping a 15-year-old Richmond High School girl, were arraigned.
The young suspects walked into the courtroom wearing bulletproof vests and surrounded by heavy security.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that only Cody Ray Smith, 15, entered a plea of not guilty. Two of the other suspects were not yet assigned attorneys and one did not respond to the charges because his attorney claimed he needed more time to prepare.
Smith and two other suspects, Ari Abdallah Morales, 16, and James Marcelles Peter, 17, are being charged as adults. They each face felony counts for gang rape and penetration with a foreign object. Morales is also charged with felony robbery for allegedly stealing the victim’s jewelry.
The Chronicle reports that Manuel Ortega, 19, is charged with gang rape, robbery, and assault causing great bodily injury.
Peter’s family believes he had nothing to do with the crime and that prosecutors are charging him due to his race, since he is the only African American suspect. Smith is Caucasian and the other suspects are Latino, according to the Chronicle.
Peter's aunt, Monquasha Peter, said “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.”
Twenty-one-year-old Salvador Rodriguez is currently being questioned by police, but has not yet been charged.
Police say the incident occurred Saturday night after the female victim left the homecoming dance and headed to an area where she was to be picked up by her father. A fellow student asked the girl to join a group of young males who were drinking alcohol on school grounds. The girl reportedly ingested a large amount of alcohol and was unable to stand. She refused to have sex with the males—which was when the over 2-hour-long attack began.
The defendants are scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 5. If convicted, each of the suspects could face life in prison.
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Comments
I bet if you show these relatives of this Peter's guy, video of him in the act, they'll still say he didn't do it. IDIOTS!
Can you post pictures of the suspects
As a black man let me be the first to state that it is absolutely unbelievable that these women would ACTUALLY stand there hollering and crying and attempt to associate RACE with the arrest of their cousin. Then again, knowing how much of a cesspool Richmond has become, I am not at all surprised. How about this sista....Stand there like a REAL woman and state that while we want to believe, with all of our hearts, that our cousin was NOT involved with the execution of this heinous crime, we will offer full and 100% support to the victim of this horrific act in what must be one of her darkest hours. We trust that the case against our cousin will proceed with full integrity and upholding of the law and pray that any findings will be truthful and correct. Thats called CLASS....but these want to actually stand there and turn themselves into victims?! News flash.....everyone that witnessed or heard of this while it was happening deserves to be dragged in front of the courts!
Is the Examminer withholding info on those arrested - or is it that no one knows anything - are they the sons of church going families or the off-spring of drug abusers? Parents in prison or working for the DMV or the Post Office? (just kidding) High school drop outs or local college students? Did they deliver pizza to people in the East Bay or work at the Richmond Mall - maybe wash cars at a local car wash - are they on state "disability" or "workers comp" (for back pain)(or for mental health reasons (antisoical personality disorder?)) - have they previously impersonated human beings and been mistaken for same - usually arrest records & other public records are easy for jounalists to get - I am just surprised there is so very little being written on the creeps who have been arrested - this is a national story now - maybe a world-wide story - why so little info being 'published'? Rape usually not Pulitzer material - but one never knows. Get to work you guys!
The cops have stated they collected plenty of forensics evidence at the scene and from the victim. If it doesn't tie Peters to the scene then yeah the arrest becomes questionable. But if it does, then he deserves the book thrown at him like everyone else.
My heart aches everytime I think of what happened to this girls. I cant believe that people stood by and watched this happen to a human being. These boys treated her like she was nothing, No one should be treated that way. To the young lady I'm sorry this happened, this time will pass as all things do. Heal well and keep your head up. Things that happens like this lets us know the LORD is coming and he is coming soon. GOD BLESS YOU SWEETHEART
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