Police investigating attack of lesbian as hate crime
By Karl Fischer and Katherine Tam
West County Times
Updated: 01/01/2009 10:58:12 PM PST
The fourth suspect in the Dec. 13 kidnapping and gang rape of a lesbian in Richmond surrendered to police Thursday afternoon after officials issued a $1 million warrant for his arrest.
Josue Gonzalez, 21, who had addresses in Richmond and San Rafael, walked into the Richmond police station shortly before 2 p.m., said police Lt. Mark Gagan. Gonzalez, who uses the nickname "Pato," had been considered armed and dangerous as well as a flight risk, police said.
Gonzalez was the final suspect being sought in the attack, which detectives are investigating as a hate crime because of language the attackers used during the assault.
Police on Wednesday arrested the other three: a man and two teenagers. Humberto Hernandez Salvador, 31, was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at his Richmond home on suspicion of kidnapping, carjacking, rape, probation violations and other felonies, Gagan said. Detectives believe he was the ringleader, police said.
A 16-year-old Hercules boy and a 15-year-old Richmond boy were arrested Wednesday afternoon in connection with the case. Police declined to release their names because they are juveniles.
The gang rape occurred in the Belding Woods neighborhood. The victim, a 28-year-old woman who police say is openly gay, had parked her car on the 1500 block of Visalia Avenue about 9:30 p.m.
Four attackers approached her as she walked to a house, struck her with an object and took her to a location away from
the street where they assaulted her, police said. The assailants made comments about her sexual orientation during the attack, police said. The attackers took her wallet and keys, which they used to open her car. They then drove her in her car about seven blocks to the 1300 block of Burbeck Avenue, where they continued to rape her, both inside and outside the vehicle, police said. After about 45 minutes, they kicked her out and drove away in her car, leaving her naked in the street, officials said. She reached a resident of the block, who called police. Detectives offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to arrests and prosecution in the case. The high amount of attention generated by the case brought police many tips, some of which panned out, Gagan said. He declined to comment about whether any tipsters had earned the $10,000 reward. Anyone with information about the case may call Richmond Police Detective Yesenia Rogers at 510-672-1718.
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