Two Española Valley High School students have been arrested for allegedly gang-raping a classmate and then taking off in her car, according to Española Police.
Xavier Gurule, 19, and Hason Blackmore, a high school junior whose age was not released by police, shared a bottle of gin with the victim the night of Nov. 25 at Gurule’s father’s Española home allegedly raped the 18-year-old victim in the early hours of Nov. 26 in a back room, according to Española Police Det. Bryan Martinez.
The encounter began consensually but the victim then told Gurule to stop and he refused, Martinez said. Afterward, Blackmore also raped the victim, Martinez said.
The victim didn’t report the alleged rape or tell anyone about it until six days after the incident, Martinez said. A sexual assault examination therefore could not be performed on her, as that procedure must be done within five days of the assault, Martinez said.
Gurule’s statement to police was that the intercourse was consensual, although at one point he said the victim told him to “hold on.” Blackmore told police he did hear the victim say stop when Gurule was having sex with her, but that he then “took a turn at” her himself, according to court documents.
The victim awoke the morning of Nov. 26 to find her Jeep Cherokee missing, documents state. Blackmore admitted he and Gurule took it without permission, and the car was recovered at the home of another Española female, documents state.
Before the assault, the victim knew Blackmore from school, but Gurule was just an acquaintance, Martinez said.
Gurule’s father and his father’s girlfriend were at the house during the incident but in a separate part of the house and unaware of what was happening.
Both Gurule and Blackmore were charged with rape, conspiracy to commit rape, and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, according to court documents. Gurule is being held at Rio Arriba County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond, and Blackmore is being held at Santa Fe County Juvenile Detention Center, documents state.
Gurule had problems with compliance on probation in 2007, resulting in two warrants being issued for his arrest, documents state. Serving one year of house arrest for a juvenile offense, Gurule cut his electronic monitoring ankle bracelet off in January 2007 after he admitted using marijuana, testing positive for opiate use and being dismissed or suspended from school, the probation office’s report states.
After a 45 day suspension from school, Gurule was told to report to Special Education but failed to appear, according to the document. Gurule again allegedly absconded from probation and cut off his ankle monitor after first failing to report to be admitted to the electronic monitoring program.