8th Man Charged in West Side Kidnapping, Sexual Assault

Eight men have been charged in connection with the kidnapping and sexual assault of three teenage girls last weekend on Chicago’s West Side, officials said.

Ramel Stevens was the eighth man charged in connection to the incident, which took place during the evening hours on Oct. 19 in the Austin neighborhood.

Stevens, 20, of the 1800 block of South 58th Court in Cicero was charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and three counts of kidnapping by use of force or threat.

Steven was allegedly part of a group of men who attacked two 16-year-old girls and a 15-year-old girl, officials said.

The girls were walking in the 700 block of North Parkside Avenue around 9:45 p.m. on Oct. 19, when a 1999 Chevrolet van approached and two suspected began talking to the girls, police said.

The girls later agreed to get into the van with the men, who gave the two 16-year-old girls alcohol and marijuana, prosecutors said.

All three girls were then assaulted and the attacks were videotaped on a cell phone camera, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Prosecutors reportedly said the 15-year-old girl tried to scream and pound on the walls of the van, but was held down and punched before she was raped.

Stevens is accused of assaulting one of the victims in the van.

Vanburen Robinson, 18, of the 600 block of South 12th Avenue in Maywood, and Maurice Johnson, 17, of the 800 block of North Massasoit Avenue in Chicago, were also charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and kidnapping in the case, according to police. Their bond was set at $500,000 Friday.

Five other teens- Fitzpatrick Durham, 18, Kelvin Pryor, 17, Sadarius Price, 17, Joshua Grayer, 18, and Denzel Clay, 19- were also charged in the attack.

Prosecutors said one of the third girls was found in the basement of Durham’s home, half naked and vomiting with a blood alcohol level at .237, the Sun-Times reported.
 

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