Second teen arrested in Sonoma Valley sexual assault
Published: Monday, January 26, 2009 at 4:22 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, January 26, 2009 at 4:20 p.m.
A second Agua Caliente teen boy is facing felony charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after she’d gotten drunk — a crime law enforcement detectives said isn’t unusual.
“It happens a lot more often than it gets reported, I think,” said Sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Thompson, who supervises sexual assault investigations.
Two teen suspects, 16, and 15, were arrested Sunday. The alleged assault occurred behind a portable classroom early Sunday at El Verano School in the Sonoma Valley, said Thompson.
The 16-year-old raped the girl, who was too intoxicated to resist, according to detectives. Further investigation late Sunday led to the arrest of the 15-year-old on suspicion of penetration with a foreign object.
The two youths, the girl and the 12-year-old brother of the 15-year-old suspect were together for hours that night.
“They were bored and drove to Petaluma for a little bit, but there was nothing to do there so they got bored and came back over to Sonoma and ended up getting alcohol from one of the boy’s houses and going to the school,” Thompson said.
The teens apparently had taken two bottles of wine to the school.
“They started drinking. She drank a lot more than they did,” Thompson said. “They took advantage of that, unfortunately.”
The 12-year-old apparently had gotten cold at some point and went to the car so detectives don’t believe he was present during the assaults.
The teens were at the school from about 12:30 to just before 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
The four then got into the car and left the school. They were soon stopped by a sheriff’s deputy who’d suspected the 16-year-old driver had been drinking.
During the traffic stop, the girl told the deputy she was assaulted.
She was taken to Sonoma Valley Hospital and was treated for heavy alcohol intoxication, Thompson said.
During the traffic stop, the 16-year-old was tested for drunken driving and the test showed he barely registered alcohol in his system, Thompson said.
He was arrested on suspicion of rape and forced oral copulation on an intoxicated teen.
The two teens were being held at Sonoma County juvenile hall. Their names were withheld by deputies because they are juveniles.
The three boys are from Agua Caliente and the girl is a Sonoma Valley resident.
Thompson said such cases are reported to his detectives about twice a month.
In Santa Rosa, six cases involving felony sexual assault on an intoxicated person were reported in 2008. Sgt. John Snetsinger said more cases were reported but ended up being classified as a slightly different crime, depending on circumstances.
“We get a fair amount of reports where the victim is reporting they think they were sexually assaulted but they have no idea what happened,” Snetsinger said.
The reports to detectives often involve a teen girl who says she was drinking at a party and then woke up to find herself in a bed without clothes or her underwear gone.
“It’s sad. It’s frustrating. It’s a wake-up call for parents to know where their kids are,” said Chris Castillo of United Against Sexual Assault. The Sonoma County non-profit agency provides victim support and works to raise awareness and prevent these crimes.
She said parents should ask questions of their teens, verify their plans, compare notes with other parents and keep an eye on household alcohol.
Castillo’s agency provides education and school programs to all ages, teaching children and teens how to take care of themselves, recognize difficult situations and to use their voices and trust their instincts.
She encouraged anyone who believes they’ve been assaulted to call for support and help.
Support and information are available from the agency, either by calling the office at 545-7270 or the 24-hour crisis line at 545-7273.
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