Three teenage boys have been arrested on rape charges after two girls reported they had gotten drunk, passed out and were sexually assaulted in a secluded portion of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, according to the East Bay Regional Park District police.
Lt. Jon King issued a statement Friday saying the teens – one 15-year-old and two 17-year-olds – were arrested on Thursday with the help of Richmond police. They were booked at the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall on several charges, including rape, oral copulation, rape in concert with officers and conspiracy.
The charges stem from the evening of Nov. 29. The girls – ages 14 and 17 – told police the next day that they had gone to the park with the teenage boys, who gave them alcohol to drink. The girls told authorities they passed out, and when they regained consciousness, they had been sexually assaulted.
They went to the hospital and told police.
King said that authorities served search warrants at the boys’ homes and recovered evidence related to the assault. They did not describe what the evidence was.
The city of Richmond is forever marred by a another high-profile gang rape in 2009, where a 16-year-old girl was assaulted by as many as 20 men outside Richmond High School’s homecoming dance.
MORE: Richmond Gang Rape Convicts Sentenced
In August, Jose Montano, 22, of Richmond, received the maximum sentence of 33 years to life while his co-defendant Marcelles Peter, 20, was sentenced to 29 years to life. Two men took a plea deal. Two more are awaiting trial.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Barbara Zuniga told Montano she would have given him more time if she could "because what he did was despicable."
The Wildcat Canyon assault remains under investigation. Anyone with information should call the East Bay Regional Parks Police investigations unit at 510-690-6555.
