Contra Costa County Prosecutor John Cope says the guilty verdicts against two of the main players in the Richmond gang rape case reflect the brutality of the crime.
"Some of the details are not really suitable for your audiences, but if you were dragged without your clothing on, across 200 feet of pavement, while you were being kicked and beaten, you can imagine some of the types of injuries she suffered," Cope said.
Peter, 20, and 22-year-old Montano were both found guilty on three felony counts -- forcible rape, sexual penetration and oral copulation, with one enhancement for great bodily injury.
The victim was a 16-year-old girl. Referred to as Jane Doe throughout the trial, she left the Richmond High School dance early on the night of October 24, 2009. She started drinking with a group of teens and young men in a campus courtyard before being repeatedly raped and beaten.
"I'm not diminishing the issues regarding Jane Doe and what Jane Doe has gone through, but at this time, this is a devastating time for the Montano family," Montano's attorney Jane Elliot said.
Though he did not want his face shown, one of the Montano jurors told reporters what struck him was how young many of those involved were at the time.
"The ages is what made it really difficult for everybody,' he said. "They're all young kids. I think all of us have kids and I think that's the thing that stuck in my mind."
Seated in the front row in court Thursday was a group of Richmond police investigators who worked on the case from the beginning.
"I do know personally that many officers that saw our victim at the scene and at the hospital, kind of carry that image in their minds, so I know it was important to see the defendants held accountable," Richmond Police Capt. Mark Gagan said.
Peter and Montano will be back in court next month for sentencing.
