Men Charged in Kidnapping, Robbery, Rape

Waukegan, IL - Four men accused of taking turns raping a Round Lake Beach woman last month began their court appearances this week in Waukegan.

Miguel Godinez-Garcia, 28, of the 300 block of Meadow Green Lane in Round Lake Beach, was arraigned Wednesday on 10 counts of criminal sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The three co-defendants in the case are scheduled to be arraigned later this week.

Godinez-Garcia is one of four men accused of raping a woman four times over the course of an evening.

On Aug. 9, prosecutors said Godinez-Garcia and Marco Ortiz-Garcia, 29, of the 1400 block Park Avenue in Round Lake Beach, agreed to take a young woman to a party. As the two men were driving the woman, who is described only as being in her mid-20s, they stopped the vehicle in an alley and took turns sexually assaulting her, according to Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata. Each man has been charged with 10 counts of criminal sexual assault.

Godinez-Garcia was the second man to assault her, and as he was doing so, two other men walked up to him in the alley brandished a gun, and robbed him, Kalata said. The gun was actually a pellet gun, but Godinez-Garcia said he was frightened into giving the men his wallet. The men also took the woman from the alley.

The two gunmen, identified as Salvador Elias, 21, of the 1600 block of Channel Drive in Round Lake Beach, and Bruno Vargas-Rios, 23, of the 3400 block of Michael Lane in Park City, allegedly told the woman that because they rescued her she would have to have sex with them, Kalata said.

Vargas-Rios and Elias took the woman to her Round Lake Beach home, where both men assaulted her, Kalata said. Each of them has been charged with 16 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and single counts of kidnapping and residential burglary.

Round Lake Beach police made an arrest following a 911 call by the victim, Round Lake Beach police Officer Paul Grace said. Prosecutors said they do not believe that the first pair of men knew the second pair.

Criminal sexual assault is a Class X felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison. If convicted, the men could be ordered to serve each count consecutively.