Glenbard West Football Stars Accused of Rape
Charges issued a year after a crash killed one of the teens
Thursday, Feb 10, 2011 | Updated 8:48 AM CDT
A year after a crash killed one Glenbard West High School football star and critically injured another, prosecutors are charging the two students with a rape that occurred an hour before the crash.
Last year, students rallied around the death of Pierre Washington-Steel, a star running back for the school's team, with a vigil and Hilltoppers game in his honor. Demarco Whitley remained hospitalized for almost two months.
On Tuesday morning, Whitley was arrested on his way to school. He is charged with criminal sexual assault.
Prosecutors say that before the crash, Whitley and Washington-Steel took a 15-year-old to a parking lot in the northwest suburbs and sexually assaulted her in the car.
Police say charges are coming a year after the attack, because they were waiting for forensic tests to be completed.
Whitley is being held on $50,000 bail and faces a 15-year maximum prison term if convicted.
