The attorney, David Wooten, also claims that the victim sent Montano "explicitly compromising images of herself" in text messages, and that she agreed to the encounter in advance via text. There's no indication Wooten has actually provided such evidence to the court yet, as he attempts to get his client bailed out of the unspecified juvenile facility he is locked up in.
Such legal boasts are clearly also an effort to intimidate the victim, in hopes that she will decline to provide the testimony that could put Montano and second suspect Henry Sanchez, 18, behind bars for life. They may also represent a craven attempt to appeal to a psychological weakness found in society regarding rape. "Why do we blame victims?" asked Juliana Breines, PhD, in a 2013 article. "The more innocent a victim, the more threatening they are. Victims threaten our sense that the world is a safe and moral place, where good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. When bad things happen to good people, it implies that no one is safe, that no matter how good we are, we too could be vulnerable."
Yet, even if such texts exist (for the sake of argument), they fail to prove rape didn't occur. "No" still means "no," and police say they have physical evidence of forcible rape in this case.
Meanwhile, for the second time in a week, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has delivered a cannonball to the gut of Montgomery County elected officials. Even as county politicians were declaring Montgomery wasn't a sanctuary county early last week, ICE at the same moment was releasing a list of such jurisdictions, and MoCo was on it. Yesterday, ICE struck again.
As first reported by Kevin Lewis of ABC7 News, the father of the other accused rapist Henry Sanchez, Adolfo Sanchez-Reyes, has been arrested by ICE agents. This appears to have been the first ICE raid within Montgomery County since President Donald Trump took office. The Montgomery County Council has previously gloated that they have held ICE from conducting raids in the county. This arrest suggests otherwise. Sanchez-Reyes is in the country illegally like his son. He was living in an unidentified apartment complex on Bel Pre Road, and is now behind bars in Jessup awaiting an immigration hearing.
If that wasn't enough, Attorney General Jeff Sessions blasted the Maryland General Assembly's Trust Act Monday, a proposed law that the Montgomery County Council played a major role in writing. Sessions said the Trust act would put "the State of Maryland at more risk for violence and crime," a charge with extra sting in the wake of the Rockville High gang rape and the execution-style murder of a Gaithersburg girl by the MS-13 gang she became involved with at Watkins Mill High School.
In his weekly news conference Monday, County Council President Roger Berliner stressed his belief that Montgomery is not a sanctuary county, but did admit "our county does not honor civil detainer requests," which he considers unconstitutional. He did not explain why he thought the federal government would ask the county to do something that was illegal. But as an attorney, he was careful to use some lawyerly language: "We fully comply with the law as we understand it to be."
66 comments:
The existence of those alleged texts should be fairly easy to prove, or disprove.
Regarding the murder of the girl in the MS-13 case, that happened Virginia, not Maryland.
Looks like the Trump administration is desperate for a diversion from their "Obamacare repeal" fiasco.
a step in the right direction on the arrest of the father of the accused rape suspect.We need ICE to enforce immigration law.
6:04: The actual homicide took place in Virginia, but as I accurately described in the article, the 15-year-old girl became involved with the gang at her school in Gaithersburg. In other words, she would still be alive today, were MS-13 not active at Watkins Mill HS.
Dyer, in the decade or so that your blog has existed, you've noted many rapes, sexual assaults and "other sexual offenses", in your "crime updates" copied from the MCPD.
Why is this particular case the only one you deemed worthy of an in-depth report?
Those who live in this DMV bubble have become numb to the nonsense that is accepted without critical analysis here. With the national spotlight focused on Rockville High, Montgomery County has become a laughing stock.
No, it’s not noble or kind to place unassimilated illegal alien men in school with 14 year old girls. It is a policy failure with predictable tragic results.
That's a great question, 6:31AM. I have a few ideas, and they all go back to him being able to blame the county.
If Trump's ICE targeted a specific individual for deportation, just for the sake of publicity, it could have some serious blowback.
6:31: There have only been 2 gang rapes of minor girls in Montgomery County that police have announced publicly since I began publishing, and this is one of them. It was also the result of Montgomery County and MCPS policies - what other rape was the County's fault for facilitating. Please let me know. The accountability issues alone warrant reporting on this. The girl was in the county's care when she was attacked.
6:33: Agreed. That's why the Council is so enraged, and is lashing out at critics. There's finally a spotlight on (some of) their misdeeds and corruption, and they don't like it. Too bad.
So rapes are "not news" unless you can somehow blame the MoCo Machine for them?
Thanks for clarifying.
7:00: Reread my answer to you again carefully. It clearly explains why this gang rape is extremely newsworthy. Is English your first language?
Did you report on the other one?
If they weren't illegals would you have report this one?
If it wasn't on school grounds would you have reported this one?
What are you implying with that language question?
Can only English speakers understand crime?
Are you making reference that one of the alleged rapists doesn't speak English fluently?
7:03: I did report on it: http://eastmoco.blogspot.com/2016/04/wheaton-men-charged-in-kidnapping-rape.html
7:08: I'm implying that anyone who could not understand what I replied to 6:31 has poor English language skills.
The Northern Virginia regional task force director Jay Lanham has stated that MS-13 is recruiting kids in the 5th grade and that the gang is prevalent throughout the Maryland Virginia area.we've had numerous MS-13 related homicides in Montgomery County.The 15 year old girl that was kidnapped from Gaithersburg and murdered in VA. is one instance.It seems violent gangs and rape in High Schools is just fine with Montgomery County Council local politicians.
Rockville High principal isn't aware of any gangs in her school.
I'm sure the Principal of Watkins Mill High school wasn't either.
I find the images on this page highly insensitive, but maybe that is just me.
How can I schedule a Cheval Hard Hat Tour?
I bet Trump called in ICE on this specifically. Spicer mentioned the case and Sessions knows about it, so this was an unconventional pick-up by ICE. They don't normally go for people with no criminal records.
I don't consider this victim-blaming. Let's see if the texts actually exist. Note the perpetrators went back to class afterwards, like nothing happened -- exactly the behavior of someone who thought it was consensual.
Luckily the case will be determined in court, and not by us armchair commenters.
BREAKING NEWS!!!! http://wapo.st/2oaNvD1?tid=ss_mail A willing participant.
@9:07 And may you be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This is from an article which was on WTOP website on March 22: Lanham (Jay Lanham director of Northern Virginia Regeonal Gang Task Force) joined other gang experts briefing Fairfax County Supervisors at Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting.
Southern Maryland and Northern Virginia have had more than 20 gang-related murders within the past two years.
Lanham also said there’s been a definite increase in drug, gun and sex trafficking.
Detailing how the situation in Fairfax County is similar to what’s happening in the region, Fairfax County Police Captain Paul Cleveland said there’s been a resurgence in all crimes.
Never thought in 2017 MoCo we'd see a "she asked to be brutally raped" defense taken seriously.
To Robert Dyer:
This is the audience you want to be writing for and the ldeals you want to encourage?
I've been reading your blog for 5+ years. I cringe sometimes at your over-the-top treatment of some stories, but overall I've enjoyed my time here. Your food reviews are cult material and wonderful.
Never again. You've been encouraging posters like 9:11AM for the past few months. Lies, intolerance and hate. You've changed too. You are more likely to insult a reader than answer their question. Your commentaries have gotten harsher and your accusations against others (not commenters) verge on ludicrous.
I can't waste my time on that. I've enjoyed sparring with a few of y'all, and thank those who've given me a chuckle or two over the years. Ciao.
I agree that threats or intimidating statements are not the answer.Rockville High school students or faculty should not be threatned.The horrible incidents and criminal activity in our schools will get the attention of excellent blogs like this one and national news media and change will come.
@1014 - agree. his tone and style are quite nasty and he has deteriorated. it's sad because it's good to have a figure willing to challenge the folks in charge in the county.
10:14: I've never insulted an actual reader, only trolls (and most of those troll comments are from one individual). What topic covered on this blog "for the past few months" has "encouraged lies, intolerance and hate?"
There are only fact-based "accusations" in the articles published here. Never anything ludicrous.
Just because somebody posts a comment, that doesn't magically change my actual content, which is in no way categorized under the harsh labels you described.
People are free to read or not, but this sounds like the same "Adios" posted every few months by our resident troll. It usually follows hardhitting coverage of a County Council fiasco where they're caught dead to rights, and righteously bodyslammed through the figurative coffee table.
11:58: My tone and style are no nastier than David Alpert or Dan Reed, and, sorry, but I haven't "deteriorated" (but the Council and MCPS sure have).
this is again from an article on the WTOP website from February 17: Gang violence in Montgomery County spiked in 2016 with what police called an unprecedented jump in homicides. According to a June 2016 report, the county saw nine gang-related homicides in an eight-month span.
Five of those homicides were tied to Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a gang with roots in Los Angeles and Central America, according to the report.
why isn't the County Council talking about this?what is Montgomery County doing?I agree very much that the Countype Council has deteriorated.
"My tone and style are no nastier than David Alpert or Dan Reed..."
First, that's utter BS, and second, it's Tu Quoque.
12:59pm Should we be flattered that you are using our handle?
One thing I do know is that when Jeff Sessions opens his mouth, lies & racist babble spew forth. So who gives .02 what his views are in any case involving a person of color.
The man who trolls Dyer daily is among us.
"Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists"
"An Internet troll is someone who comes into a discussion and posts comments designed to upset or disrupt the conversation. Often, in fact, it seems like there is no real purpose behind their comments except to upset everyone else involved. Trolls will lie, exaggerate, and offend to get a response."
"See Kraut, Aaron as an example of a long time troll psychopath."
3:19 - If not for me, you wouldn't be able to use "the royal 'we'", Birdbrain!
So true
4:56: You're not allowed to post false and defamatory statements.
4:58: Thanks for the report, but I have no evidence or indication anything has been hacked here.
It is the truth. You made a mistake and will not apologize for it. I've asked many times.
3rd time in this I post, you delete game we are playing.
And there's the problem in a nutshell.
"My tone and style are no nastier than David Alpert or Dan Reed,"
Who? Honestly, who are those two people? Why do they matter? And why should that make any difference in your tone and attitude?
Never insulting an actual reader, that is a LIE.
You have insulted me, threatened me, and I am a regular reader, who asked a
question, who you accused of being said troll, and when it was obvious that I
wasn't, you NEVER apologized, instead you actually accused me of using
language and tone that sounded like what the troll uses, so you felt you were
justified of threatening to punch me in the face. Talk about victim shaming.
Exactly like you just did with @10:14. Interesting. Very telling.
Here's a comment of mine from a few months ago.:
It is YOU who is doing the attacking and threatening of me!!! 2 years in the
Federal pen for my comment? That Federal pen taunt is getting old. What is it
now, 3 or 4 times you've threatened me with that? Once again personally
threatening me. I keep records too. Including your threat of physical harm on me
for posting another of my opinions.
Just a heads-up folks, if you see a defamatory statement about me posted here in the comments by a troll, ignore it. If caught and identified, the troll will not only face federal prison time for harrassment and stalking, but also civil action for defamation. Regular readers know the drill with this guy. What a nutjob.
Pointing out that Robert Dyer's tone is in fact nastier than David Alpert or Dan Reed "is false and defamatory and land you in the federal pen." LOL
6:53: No, but falsely stating that I "threatened to punch me in the face" is defamation. You can go through the whole blog - there is no such comment. Stalking, harrassment and threats made against me (which I have screen captures of), in contrast, will put the troll in the federal pen.
By the way, it's also a false statement to claim I'm "nastier than David Alpert or Dan Reed." Nobody is nastier or snarkier than Alpert in the local area (plenty like him in national political reporting, however). The difference is that Alpert is funded by developers and delivers their message. I'm funded by nobody, and I'm speaking from the residents' perspective. But people enjoy that I give Alpert et al some of their own medicine in terms of tone. It's about time, and that's why people like reading this website, if they are involved in county politics. Finally, after all of the Alpert/Reed developer PR being foisted on us by the Post and Washingtonian hyping their sites, somebody is returning fire from the resident side of the story.
It's like Bronson vs. the assassin in Death Wish 4:
"I can be very nasty."
"So can I."
It's a good thing that 5:54 is keeping a record of the comments Dyer deletes, because Dyer lies so shamelessly about what was actually said in them, after he deletes them.
Exactly, @7:23. I have the screen shots. Of both my comments and of Dyer's threats.
No argument, only fact.
Didn't claim you were nastier. I still don't know who they are. Nor do I care. In fact, you seem to be the only one who does care.
Show me a comment "screenshot" where I said I'm going to punch you in the face. It doesn't exist. Defamation.
I'm not giving up my evidence, but here's an example of how you snap.
Now, please show me where I have EVER threatened you? You can't. Because I haven't. Ever.
I'm not your flipping "troll"
As I've said before
"I'm a long-term county resident who is appalled at the accusations you make
freely without substance. I have seen first-hand your misrepresentation and
false assertions."
Saying that somebody punching you in the face would "qualify as a public amenity" is quite different from saying "I am going to punch you in the face."
It's not even possible to "threaten" an anonymous person. How would a threat be carried out against an unknown person? Not only was there no threat, but you can't even charge or convict someone for threatening a unknown, anonymous person. And to even try to file a frivolous charge like that, you would have to expose who you were, and thereby be culpable for all comments you had posted anonymously on this site via your IP address!
The readers of this blog I meet in public are pleased with the fact-based, hard news reporting I present here. You have no credibility hiding behind a computer. You've never presented a single example of an "accusation I've made freely without substance" in any article here.
Really, you're going to try that?
Why don't you post a screenshot of me threatening you? oh right never have
It is YOU who is doing the attacking and threatening of me!!! 2 years in the
Federal pen for my comment? That Federal pen taunt is getting old.
I've also said before:
You need to step back and find a way to deal with your paranoia. Not everyone
who sees things differently or has their own views is this mysterious person who
you threaten.
I've presented many. You delete them. FACT.
Ludicrous remarks?
"The Bell, California City Council did this, too. They're in the slammer right now. Montgomery County's Council? Still on the street, and still on the take."
My comment:
You are blatantly stating that the members of the Montgomery County Maryland County Council are on-the-take.
8:49: They are on the take. And like Bell, they massively increased their salaries even while there was a budget deficit, and raised taxes at the same time. That was one of the exact things Bell did.
Only one of the councils was prosecuted and jailed, however. Hmm....
I am blatantly stated the MoCo Council is on the take. Non-profits, for example. George Leventhal votes to increase funds to a non-profit. The director of that nonprofit, who earns a salary paid for by that taxpayer money, then turns around and writes George Leventhal the maximum possible campaign donation. Unreal!
Shouldn't you be badgering Leventhal, and not me, the guy exposing the corruption? Or are you part of the corruption? I can't understand who would oppose exposing corruption other than the people who are in on it.
Does this "nonprofit" have a name, Dyer?
You can't understand how anyone doesn't mind you lying and making false accusations?
Why aren't they in jail? Oh that's right. They availed themselves of a benefit offered by their employer, i.e. travel reimbursement. NOT CRIMINAL. When was the last time you had any direct knowledge of payroll or benefits?
Always accusing. First I have to work for another site, then some board, then the council. Nope. I'm just a run of the mill county resident.
So where's all those screenshots of me threatening you?
Or that apology due to me?
Something to ponder...
You know, anything what I've ever asked here is no different than what you would be asked if you were running for office.
The troll force is strong in this thread.
#DyerInOverHisHead
10:28: The gas reimbursement isn't what would send them to prison. It's the Bell California style salary-and-tax-hikes I outlined in my last comment. It's the pyramid schemes of funneling taxpayer money to non-profits who then direct some of it back to the campaign accounts of the councilmember who voted to approve the funds. It's not reporting illegal activity you're aware of in the DLC until after election day. Illegal use of funds for Little Falls Parkway road diet. Breaking your own open data law. Cash under the table from developers.
#LockThemUp
We'll have to disagree on the salary thing. The salaries of the MC Council are in line with the prevailing salaries for the area. $136,000ish
In Bell CA, however, they were paid over 20x the prevailing local wage for extremely part-time work.
Bell had a median household income of $35,985, with 30.2% of its residents living below the federal poverty line
All but one of the members of the city council were receiving $100,000 for their part-time work. By comparison, council members in cities similar to Bell in size make an average of $4,800 a year, prosecutors have noted
The City manager, received $787,637 a year. Including benefits, he had received $1.5 million in the last year. His assistant was earning $376,288 a year, more than the top administrator for Los Angeles County.
The same? Really?
And the population of Bell, CA is 35,000, 3.5% of Montgomery's 1,000,000.
Dyer, you appear to not understand what the term "pyramid scheme" actually means.
10:28 AM You're too quick to hate and insult and slow to praise or encourage.
Definitely a troll!
@ 6:53 - Dyer needs his Attaboys.
Notice how most of Dyer's posts include allusions to schoolyard fights or TV superheroes? He has some strange fixations.
12:56: The average DC-area salary is $84,523. $136,000 is WAY beyond the range of that, and clearly excessive. And these excessive salary increases came even as the county was financially in the red, requiring tax increases, all just like Bell, California.
The population difference is completely irrelevant. This Council is absolutely part-time work, if you simply review their light meeting schedule, and the fact that the actual operations of the county are performed by the executive branch.
7:22: Neither was mentioned in this article. You are the one with strange fixations, mainly your fixation on Robert Dyer.
Dyer @ 2:39 AM -
7:22 PM here. I was talking about your coments. Why so touchy?
I note that the time stamps in your RockvilleNutz blog correctly show Eastern Time. Yet your timestamps here are still three hours behind, regardless of Savings or Standard Time. Why is that, Mr. Soooper-Genius?
You know your Bell CA argument has no merit.
They were breaking the law, and are suffering the consequences.
Just because you do not like what the council does, doesn't make it illegal. It makes it YOUR OPINION.
If anything they have done was truly illegal, they would be charged with a crime, and not your innuendo.
5:14: My Bell argument has total merit. Those councilmembers were convicted and imprisoned for the same actions that our MoCo Council has taken - outrageously boosting their own salaries even as the budget was in the red, and then raising taxes to make up the gap.
The only reason they haven't been charged is because of political corruption at the state and county level, and because the FBI has yet to open an investigation into this, Farm Road, Westbard, and so many other scandals just waiting to be investigated.
#LockThemUp
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