Three migrant men from Guatemala have either pleaded guilty or been convicted of gang raping a deaf woman they kidnapped in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in June 2021. Another migrant, believed to be the ringleader, has reportedly fled to Guatemala.
Oscar Rene Juarez Lopez, a 45-year-old Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty to rape and kidnapping and received a 20-year prison sentence this week, as reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Deputy District Attorney Haley Murphy stated that Lopez, along with Owin Erlandi Lemus Cardona, Edward Climaco Velis, and Josue Donaldo Leon Cartagena – all migrants from Guatemala – forcefully took the woman in a vehicle on June 13, 2021.
The woman was subjected to a horrific gang rape by the four men, described as a “multi-hour nightmare” where she was treated “like meat amongst a pack of wolves.” Some of the rape was even filmed. After the assault, the men left her at her home, prompting her to report the incident to the police and undergo a sexual assault examination at a nearby hospital.
Cardona was convicted in February of kidnapping, conspiracy, and criminal sexual penetration, awaiting sentencing with a potential 43-year prison term. Velis pleaded guilty to conspiracy and criminal sexual penetration in May of the previous year, facing up to 18 years in prison but likely receiving 13 years under a plea agreement.
Cartagena, believed to be the gang rape’s leader, is suspected to be residing in Guatemala with an outstanding arrest warrant. Prosecutors revealed Cartagena’s previous acknowledgment of involvement in the crime and identification of the three other men.
let all involved be made deaf then sentenced to life on death row. 🔇☠️