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oonu chat bout it aready..doe jah me knoe wha fe seh..saw this on CNN last night..really sickening..how can people treat each other so 
Richmond, California (CNN) -- Investigators say as many as 20 people were involved in or stood and watched the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside a California high school homecoming dance Saturday night.
Police posted a $20,000 reward Tuesday for anyone who comes to them with information that helps arrest and convict those involved in what authorities describe as a 2½-hour assault on the Richmond High School campus in suburban San Francisco.
Two teenage suspects have been jailed, but more arrests, as many as 20 total, are expected, according to a police detective.
"We will be making arrests continually as we develop probable cause," said Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan. "With this number of people implicated in the incident we're going to be making arrests on an ongoing basis."
As many as 10 people were involved in the assault in a dimly lighted back alley at the school, while another 10 people watched without calling 911 to report it, police said.
A 1999 California law makes it illegal not to report a witnessed crime against a child, but the law applies only to children 14 and under.
"We do not have the ability to arrest people who witnessed the crime and did nothing," Gagan said. "The law can be very rigid. We don't have the authority to make an arrest."
Charles Ramsey, a member of the Richmond school board, said the school district bears some responsibility for the attack. School administrators and police apparently weren't watching the area as they should have, Ramsey said.
The school said it would hold a safety meeting for parents and students Wednesday evening to address the assault.
The victim was found unconscious 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," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan said.
The girl was flown by helicopter to a hospital where she was admitted in critical condition. She was in stable condition Tuesday, police said.
Investigators canvassed the community with fliers, which included the reward offer, hoping to identify more suspects Tuesday.
"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, Gagan said.
"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.
"As people announced over time that this was going on, more people came to see, and some actually participated," Gagan said.
The attack occurred on school grounds as the annual homecoming dance was under way inside the school Saturday night, authorities said.
5 Suspects in Custody in Gang Rape, Beating of Girl After Homecoming Dance
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Five suspects were in custody early Wednesday in northern California in the gang rape, robbery and beating of a 15-year-old girl outside her high school homecoming dance, KTVU.com reported.
Authorities in Richmond, Calif., said they arrested two adults and three juveniles and were searching for others believed to be involved in the alcohol-fueled attack Saturday night in a secluded courtyard on the grounds of Richmond High School.
Evidence suggests there may have been up to 10 assailants, Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan told KTVU.com, and the assault was likely witnessed by as many as a dozen people — some of whom laughed and snapped photos of the rape on cell phone cameras but did nothing to stop it.
"She was raped, beaten, robbed and dehumanized by several suspects who were obviously OK enough with it to behave that way in each other's presence," Gagan said earlier this week. "What makes it even more disturbing is the presence of others. People came by, saw what was happening and failed to report it."
More coverage at KTVU.com.
The Tuesday night arrests include a teenager from San Pablo; a 21-year-old Richmond man identified as Salvadore Rodriguez and a teenager from Pinole who surrendered to police after they went to his home with a warrant earlier in the day, KTVU.com said. The juvenile suspects are boys ages 16 and 17, police said.
Two others were arrested Monday: 19-year-old Richmond High School dropout Manuel Ortega, who was booked on $800,000 bail, and a 15-year-old male freshman.
The victim, who police say has been helping in the investigation, left the high school homecoming dance about 9:30 p.m. Saturday and was heading to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard.
Shortly afterward, the girl was allegedly robbed, beaten and gang-raped for more than two hours before police intervened.
Investigators believe the attack not only was carried out by as many as 10 people aged 15 to mid-20s but also was watched by up to 12 others and may have been videotaped and photographed with cell phone cameras, according to KTVU.com.
The victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the girl semi-conscious near a picnic table. She is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities stepped up their investigation Tuesday night, sending a SWAT team out with arrest warrants. More arrests are coming, Gagan said.
"That list will increase, I expect, as we get people in custody, as they tell us what other people did and what they saw," he told KTVU.com.
The victim had been verbally abused by her classmates in the past, a student told the station.
“They used to make fun of her because she had a crush on a boy in class,” said Richmond High senior Susan Meas. “And they used to make fun of her because of the jeans she wore and stuff. She had to barge out of class crying one day."
Richmond, California (CNN) -- Investigators say as many as 20 people were involved in or stood and watched the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside a California high school homecoming dance Saturday night.
Police posted a $20,000 reward Tuesday for anyone who comes to them with information that helps arrest and convict those involved in what authorities describe as a 2½-hour assault on the Richmond High School campus in suburban San Francisco.
Two teenage suspects have been jailed, but more arrests, as many as 20 total, are expected, according to a police detective.
"We will be making arrests continually as we develop probable cause," said Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan. "With this number of people implicated in the incident we're going to be making arrests on an ongoing basis."
As many as 10 people were involved in the assault in a dimly lighted back alley at the school, while another 10 people watched without calling 911 to report it, police said.
A 1999 California law makes it illegal not to report a witnessed crime against a child, but the law applies only to children 14 and under.
"We do not have the ability to arrest people who witnessed the crime and did nothing," Gagan said. "The law can be very rigid. We don't have the authority to make an arrest."
Charles Ramsey, a member of the Richmond school board, said the school district bears some responsibility for the attack. School administrators and police apparently weren't watching the area as they should have, Ramsey said.
The school said it would hold a safety meeting for parents and students Wednesday evening to address the assault.
The victim was found unconscious 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," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan said.
The girl was flown by helicopter to a hospital where she was admitted in critical condition. She was in stable condition Tuesday, police said.
Investigators canvassed the community with fliers, which included the reward offer, hoping to identify more suspects Tuesday.
"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, Gagan said.
"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.
"As people announced over time that this was going on, more people came to see, and some actually participated," Gagan said.
The attack occurred on school grounds as the annual homecoming dance was under way inside the school Saturday night, authorities said.
5 Suspects in Custody in Gang Rape, Beating of Girl After Homecoming Dance
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Five suspects were in custody early Wednesday in northern California in the gang rape, robbery and beating of a 15-year-old girl outside her high school homecoming dance, KTVU.com reported.
Authorities in Richmond, Calif., said they arrested two adults and three juveniles and were searching for others believed to be involved in the alcohol-fueled attack Saturday night in a secluded courtyard on the grounds of Richmond High School.
Evidence suggests there may have been up to 10 assailants, Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan told KTVU.com, and the assault was likely witnessed by as many as a dozen people — some of whom laughed and snapped photos of the rape on cell phone cameras but did nothing to stop it.
"She was raped, beaten, robbed and dehumanized by several suspects who were obviously OK enough with it to behave that way in each other's presence," Gagan said earlier this week. "What makes it even more disturbing is the presence of others. People came by, saw what was happening and failed to report it."
More coverage at KTVU.com.
The Tuesday night arrests include a teenager from San Pablo; a 21-year-old Richmond man identified as Salvadore Rodriguez and a teenager from Pinole who surrendered to police after they went to his home with a warrant earlier in the day, KTVU.com said. The juvenile suspects are boys ages 16 and 17, police said.
Two others were arrested Monday: 19-year-old Richmond High School dropout Manuel Ortega, who was booked on $800,000 bail, and a 15-year-old male freshman.
The victim, who police say has been helping in the investigation, left the high school homecoming dance about 9:30 p.m. Saturday and was heading to meet her father for a ride home when a classmate invited her to join a group drinking in the courtyard.
Shortly afterward, the girl was allegedly robbed, beaten and gang-raped for more than two hours before police intervened.
Investigators believe the attack not only was carried out by as many as 10 people aged 15 to mid-20s but also was watched by up to 12 others and may have been videotaped and photographed with cell phone cameras, according to KTVU.com.
The victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol by the time the assault began, police said. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the girl semi-conscious near a picnic table. She is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities stepped up their investigation Tuesday night, sending a SWAT team out with arrest warrants. More arrests are coming, Gagan said.
"That list will increase, I expect, as we get people in custody, as they tell us what other people did and what they saw," he told KTVU.com.
The victim had been verbally abused by her classmates in the past, a student told the station.
“They used to make fun of her because she had a crush on a boy in class,” said Richmond High senior Susan Meas. “And they used to make fun of her because of the jeans she wore and stuff. She had to barge out of class crying one day."