No One Called Cops During Gang Rape, But Some Took Pictures

Oct. 27, 2009— -- An official with the school district where a 15-year-old girl was brutally gang raped outside the homecoming dance said they were praying for her recovery but also defended school security, saying that when the students leave the dance, "we don't take them home."

Police in Richmond, Calif., believe that as many as 20 people may have either watched or participated in a vicious rape of the Richmond High School teenager that lasted for more than two hours in a dimly lit corner of the sprawling campus.

Rather than call for help, some of the students took pictures, police told ABC's KGO-TV in San Francisco. KGO reported today that police have arrested two suspected rapists but believe that between four and seven people could have participated while as many as a dozen stood and watched.

West Contra Costa Unified School District spokesman Marin Trujillo told ABCNews.com that there were four police officers, five chaperones and a host of teachers to supervise the dance, and that when the event was over a sweep was made of the campus to make sure everyone had gone home.

The corner on the outskirts of school grounds where the girl was attacked, he said, was not part of the search.

"I bet this is a learning incident," Trujillo said, referring to the way they searched the campus.

Nevetheless, the school spokesman said it's up to parents to make sure their children get safely home from these types of dances.

"Once the child leaves the dance, we don't take them home," Trujillo said.

The spokesman later told KGO, "The dance itself was a success in terms of safety. Nothing happened at the event. We're currently exploring our protocols to make sure that we can expand them, and make sure that this isolated incident doesn't get repeated again."

Police had a different view.

"These suspects are monsters. And, I don't understand how this many people capable of such atrocious behavior could be in one place at one time," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan told KGO.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested Monday after he was pulled out of class for questioning, and police also charged 19-year-old Manuel Ortega, a former Richmond High School student, with rape and robbery.

A third student, KGO reported, was also taken out of school for questioning but released.