Four men — including one 16-year-old boy — allegedly gang-raped and viciously beat a 21-year-old woman at a Half Moon Bay beach trail after falsely offering her a ride to San Jose Wednesday, according to prosecutors.
Edgar Cardelas, 18, Anastasio Flores, 18, Celestrino Guillermo, 21 and Gerardo Resendiz, 16, appeared in court but did not yet enter pleas. They return next Wednesday to identify their court-appointed attorneys, enter pleas to the multiple counts of sexual assault and assault and set a preliminary hearing date.
The group offered the woman a ride to San Jose which she accepted, according to police reports. Instead, they took her to Miramontes Point Beach Trail and repeatedly raped her, prosecutors claim. The woman suffered multiple severe injuries, including facial fractures.
Authorities did not disclose if the woman and the suspects knew each other previous to the alleged attack.
Prosecutors are charging all suspects as adults, including the 16-year-old boy. Under California's Proposition 21 law, the District Attorney's Office has the discretion to do so in grave cases and the local office has invoked it a number of times in sexual assaults with teen suspects.
If convicted, each defendant faces life in prison. In sexual assault cases of certain natures, convictions and the one-strike they carry are enough to bring a life sentence.
Each defendant remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail. They return to court June 8.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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