Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo retained the $100,000 cash bail after Angel Jess Santos, a Kagman III resident, appeared in court for his initial appearance.
Associate Judge David A. Wiseman earlier ordered Santos’ arrest and set a $100,000 cash bail.
Santos is being held on the charge of kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse of a minor, aggravated assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.
Govendo remanded him to the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Assistant Attorney General Brian Gallagher represented the government while Chief Public Defender Adam Hardwicke was appointed to represent Santos.
Department of Public Safety spokesman PO2 Eric David said the case is still under investigation.
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A concerned citizen tipped investigators about Santos’ involvement in the kidnap-rape of the 16-year-old KagHS student, according to Detective Dennis Masga Reyes.
The informant said he was with his friends at the CYC Store near KagHS, when he saw a dark pick-up truck parked behind the store, with three men standing beside the vehicle.
Santos was among the three men, the informant told DPS.
Santos at the time was wearing camouflage pants and a red t-shirt.
The informant later saw another male individual grabbing the victim’s backpack.
The informant thought that suspects were playing with the victim. He reported the matter to the police after he learned about incident.
Abduction
The victim told police she left home at about 6 a.m. and walked to her aunt’s house across from the Kagman Community Center to get her baseball cap.
She then walked to CYC Store and bought a drink before proceeding toward the highway that connects to the main road leading to KagHS.
Detective Reyes said it was along the secondary paved highway when the three suspects on the pick-up truck approached the victim and asked for her bag. The victim continued walking.
The suspects then jumped off the vehicle, held the victim, covered her mouth and nose, preventing her from screaming and breathing, according to Reyes.
“[The victim] struggled but was unable to breathe and felt weakened. A sudden hit on her head knocked her unconscious,” Detective Reyes said.
When the victim later regained consciousness, she had a bloody nose, and found herself inside an abandoned concrete house several houses behind CYC Store, police said.
‘Pull somebody’
Santos waived his right to an attorney while he was being questioned at the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Prior to the kidnap-rape incident, Santos said he left home at about 6 a.m. to purchase some items at CYC Store.
Santos was walking toward the back of CYC Store when he found his juvenile friend along with another individual.
The juvenile asked Santos to follow them to go “pull somebody” and Santos agreed and got into the pick-up truck, according to Reyes.
They followed the victim who was walking on the gravel road behind CYC Store, police said.
‘Choke hold’
Santos told police that the victim was put in a “choke hold” after she was grabbed by the juvenile while the driver held on the back of her shirt, “and twisted his fist in the clothing as to get a firm grip of the victim.”
Santos said the victim was kicking, screaming and fighting while the juvenile continuously punched her on her face, elbowing her stomach and lower body.
Police said the suspects later brought the victim to Tank Beach where she was raped by the juvenile with Santos acting as the look-out.
After the sexual assault, the victim was brought by the juvenile and the driver back to the pick-up which then drove off. Santos walked back home, police said.