Reports of two similar attacks on young Gilroy women
– one rape thwarted, one not – have prompted police to step up
patrols along the Uvas Creek levee, and increased sexual assault
awareness citywide.
BY Emily Alpert and Christopher Quirk
Gilroy – Reports of two similar attacks on young Gilroy women – one rape thwarted, one not – have prompted police to step up patrols along the Uvas Creek levee, and increased sexual assault awareness citywide. On bicycles and horseback, police are riding the levee, hoping that their relative stealth will help catch the rapist; meanwhile, schools and community groups are discussing educational events to equip residents with crucial knowledge.
About 4pm last Tuesday a heavyset, pale-skinned man in a ski mask crept up behind a 16-year-old girl as she walked north along the levee behind Gilroy High School, striking her on the head with an unknown object before he pulled her down toward the creek and raped her, the girl told police. Saturday night, a 22-year-old woman reported a similar attack on the Brownell Middle School campus, by a man resembling the levee rapist. The man hit her from behind with an unknown object, knocking her to the ground, then held her down with his body, she told police. Before he could remove her pants, she hit him in the groin and fled.
No sketch exists of the rape suspect or suspects. Because the man wore a ski mask during the first attack, an artist was unable to complete a drawing. The second victim got a better look at her attacker, who wasn’t masked, but she has been unavailable to meet with a sketch artist, said Detective Mitch Madruga, who is investigating the crimes. The two attacks follow two previous sexual assaults reported this spring in the vicinity of Christmas Hill Park, both involving teen victims. At this point, said Madruga, there isn’t enough information to say whether any of the attackers are the same person.
It remains unclear when high school staff were first made aware of last week’s attack. Principal Jim Maxwell was unaware of the rape and a previous assault reported in the Dispatch when interviewed last Wednesday afternoon. However, Assistant Principal Greg Camacho-Light later clarified that School Resource Officer Cherie Somavia had contacted school staff and left a message saying an incident had taken place, but the full details weren’t shared with Maxwell until later. Assistant principals may have been informed earlier than Maxwell, Madruga said. Cherie Somavia could not be reached Friday or Tuesday to explain how information was shared between police and school staff.
Once notified, staff sprung into action, sending phone messages and e-mails to parents Wednesday night, and filling teacher mailboxes with flyers. Nonetheless, some parents were frustrated to be notified more than 24 hours after the first attack, and raised questions about communication between schools and police.
“It shouldn’t be a day or two that passes,” said trustee Denise Apuzzo. “The schools have to get that out to parents immediately.”
Trustees are also unclear about the high school’s delayed response to the Tuesday attack and await details from a district report. Interim superintendent Darrel Taylor could not be reached to comment on whether a report had been commissioned. Pat Midtgaard said she’s looking specifically for reasons why parents and students – who regularly walk home along the levee – were not informed of the attack before they went home Wednesday.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said. “Go ahead and send the message.”
High school staff have not formally spoken with students about the incident, though some teachers talked with their classes, Maxwell said. The problem is that the high school day is booked solid with scheduled classes and teachers cannot interrupt them because of academic pressure, he said.
“As of right now, there is no place for it,” he said. “The only thing we could do is pull kids out of class for assemblies.”
This too would result in lost class time and an impact on student learning, Maxwell said. However, a freshman health class proposed to start in fall 2008 would include a self-defense component. While it would not stop sexual assault, it would help students take a step toward prevention, Maxwell said.
At Brownell Middle School, teachers talked to students about the levee assault Friday and about the second rape attempt Tuesday. The school may set aside a physical education class this week to discuss the issue further and answer student questions, Principal Joe Di Salvo said.
The nonprofit group Community Solutions also has taken action, planning a self-defense training and awareness event next week in Christmas Hill Park. Such preparedness is lacking in Gilroy, said Perla Flores, director of the group’s Solutions to Violence program.
“We as a community really need to become more aware of our safety – not just when there’s a high incidence of reports, but all year long,” she said. “As potential victims, there’s certain preventative measures that we can take, like being aware of our surroundings and taking a self-defense course.”
Though police are focusing extra patrols on the levee, which has secluded paths and shrubbery, community members shouldn’t limit their awareness to the popular trail, Madruga said.
“It’s hard to say when and where these things will happen,” he said. “Who would have thought that Brownell would be the next place? … These attacks can happen anywhere. So heighten your awareness, no matter where you go.”
