Four Teenagers Charged In Alleged Gang Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl

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July 14, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Joe Scott, Director of Communications
Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer
Jane Robison, News Secretary
(213) 974-3525

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WHITTIER – Four teenagers were charged today in a 21-count felony complaint alleging that they gang raped a 13-year-old girl in PicoRivera a week ago, the District Attorney’s office announced.

The four were among six teens arrested by Sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday in connection with the alleged assault on July 6 in a PicoRivera park restroom. One of those arrested – a 15-year-old boy – was released after the District Attorney’s office evaluated the case and did not file charges against him. The case of the remaining teen – also 15 – was to be evaluated for possible juvenile charges.

Those charged today in case No. VA 090085 were scheduled to appear for arraignment this afternoon in Division 5 of Whittier Superior Court. All are in custody.

The case, filed by Deputy District Attorney Suzanne Freeman of the Sex Crimes Division, charges each defendant with four counts of forcible rape while acting in concert, four counts of rape with a foreign object while acting in concert, four counts of sodomy while acting in concert with force, four counts of oral copulation while acting in concert with force, four counts of forcible lewd acts in a child under the age of 14, and one count of false imprisonment by violence. It was alleged in the forcible lewd act charges that they were committed by the defendants with “the use of force, violence, duress, menace and fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim,” identified only as “Jane Doe.”

The complaint alleged that if the defendants are convicted of the sexual assault counts, they will not be eligible for probation or suspended sentences.

Bail was recommended at $720,000 for each defendant. Each of the defendants was charged as an adult. Each faces a lengthy state prison term if convicted.

The defendants are:

Gilbert Anthony Viera, 19 (dob 3-5-1986), of Whittier; Ricardo Gonzalez (dob 4-12-1989) and Nathan Edward Red (dob 2-26-1989), both 16 and both from Pico Rivera; and Ruben Marquez Jr., 17 (dob 6-4-1988), also of Pico Rivera.

sg

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20-Year-Old Sent to Prison For Life For Murdering Four Pico Rivera Family Members

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October 22, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Joe Scott, Director of Communications
Sandi Gibbons, Public Information Officer
Jane Robison, News Secretary
(213) 974-3525

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NORWALK – A Norwalk Superior Court judge today sentenced a 20-year-old man to spend the remainder of his life in prison for murdering four members of a Pico Rivera family and wounding a fifth, who survived and spoke at the hearing, the District Attorney’s office announced.

“I still have no answers why,” said Sylvia Flores, who survived the stabbing attack three years ago that took the lives of her husband and three of her children. “It just came out of nowhere…I still need to know why…my nightmare goes on,” the woman tearfully told defendant Michael Naranjo. Naranjo, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and shackled hand and foot, stared straight ahead without visible emotion as Mrs. Flores made a statement to the court prior to sentencting. Also speaking were her oldest daughter, a cousin and a family friend.

Esparanza Flores, who found her critically wounded mother and her mortally wounded father, sister and two brothers, added, “He (Naranjo) sits there without even looking at us…I cannot understand after everything he’s been through that he sits there without even crying.”

Deputy District Attorney Kevin McCormick of the Major Crimes Division said of Naranjo, “The soulessness he demonstrated by his attitude and the words of his confession – it’s almost subhuman.” A four-page handwritten document entitled, “My Confession,” was introduced by McCormick at the sentencing hearing, along with other material to show the aggravated nature of the murders. “I’ve never seen a case like this in 18 years (as a prosecutor),” McCormick said.

Noting that the Flores family members said they forgave Naranjo, Judge John A. Torribo said, “I commend you for your forgiveness. I don’t know if I would have that in my heart.”

The judge sentenced Naranjo to four consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders of Richard Angel Flores, 42; and his children, Richard Jr., 17; Sylvia (cq) 13; and Matthew, 10. All were stabbed to death. He sentenced Naranjo to life with the possibility of parole for the attempted murder of Sylvia Flores, then 38, during the July 21, 2000, attack at the Flores family home inPico Rivera.

In addition, the judge added another eight years on the sentence for using a knife to commit the crimes and for the great bodily injury suffered by Mrs. Flores. All sentences are to run concurrently.

Naranjo and Monica Diaz, 19, Mrs. Flores’ niece and an adopted daughter of the Flores family, were arrested and charged within days after the murders. Both have been in custody since that time. The defendants were high school sweethearts and Mrs. Flores said that Naranjo, “as my daughter’s boyfriend, was always there (at the family home). He was like one of my kids.”

On Oct. 1, as a jury was being selected for his trial, Naranjo pleaded guilty to all charges against him, including the special circumstance of multiple murders. Because he was under the age of 18 at the time of the murders, the only possible to a special circumstances case would be life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Monica Diaz faces trial in December. She also is charged with special circumstances murder in the killings and like Naranjo, was under the age of 18 when the crimes were committed.

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© 1994-2011 Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. All Rights Reserved.