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Posted on 04/04/2006 3:23:42 AM PDT by freepatriot32
An 18-year-old woman was kidnapped and raped early Friday morning while walking home from a traffic stop in which Upland police impounded her ride, authorities said.
Upland police allowed the woman to leave alone on foot around midnight near 14th Street and Euclid Avenue after they towed the car in which she was a passenger.
She called police from the south part of the city about two hours later and reported that a man forced her into his car at gunpoint and raped her before she made it home.
Police Capt. Jeff Mendenhall said that despite the obvious safety concerns, police followed proper procedures in letting the woman walk through the city alone in the middle of the night. It was the woman's choice to do so, he said, and officers had no authority to stop her.
"She could have been taken somewhere, but she turned it down," Mendenhall said. "If she were a juvenile we would have made arrangements to get her home. But if it's an adult we can't force them against their will."
Officers arrested the suspected assailant shortly after the woman reported she was raped.
They said the suspect, 22-year-old Seuti Magba-Kamara of Rancho Cucamonga, drove past them while they were interviewing the woman just after 2 a.m.
They pulled him over several blocks away and took him into custody without incident, Mendenhall said.
He was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on charges of rape, kidnapping, robbery, criminal threats and forcible oral copulation. Bail was set at $1 million.
Police said the incident unfolded about 11:20 p.m. Thursday after officers stopped the car in which the woman was a passenger.
The driver of the car, who was not identified, was arrested on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia, and the car was impounded.
Mendenhall said the woman initially waited in the back seat of a squad car while police called a ride for her. The ride didn't show, and the woman decided to walk to a pay phone, Mendenhall said.
She didn't come back, Mendenhall said.
Police said she made it about three miles on foot before a man pulled up in a white Chevrolet Impala and offered her a ride near San Antonio Avenue and Eighth Street.
When she refused, he brandished a handgun and forced her into his car, Mendenhall said.
He then drove her to an alley, threatened her and forced her to have sex at gunpoint, police said. He stole her ID and let her out of the car afterward, police said.
She called to report the incident at about 2 a.m. from the area of Seventh Street and San Antonio.
After his arrest, the woman identified Magba-Kamara as her assailant, authorities said. Evidence was found in his car linking him to the crime, Mendenhall said. Police also recovered the gun, which they said turned out to be an air pistol.
The woman, who suffered bruises on her arm, was treated a hospital and released.
Mendenhall said police don't like to leave people stranded on the streets.
Officers will often take them to 24-hour restaurants or even allow them to wait in the police station lobby for their rides.
This woman didn't want that, he said.
"We certainly didn't leave her stranded," he said. "There were better options for her to take."
Curtis Cope, an expert in police procedure, said Friday it appears Upland police acted within the law in allowing the woman to walk home alone.
"It sounds like an offer for assistance was made, and that would be consistent with good police practice," Cope said.
In some cases, an officer can drive a person home, but that depends on how busy the officer is and how far away is the person's destination, said Cope, who spent 29 years as a policeman and now works as an instructor on proper tactics.
Normally, police will help the person call a cab or arrange transportation. If the person chooses to walk, police must let them, he said.
According to court records, Magba-Kamara has a case pending against him. He is suspected of committing a robbery at a fast-food restaurant on Holt Boulevard in Montclair.
He was out of jail on his own recognizance Thursday night.
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How about not impounding her car?
No fallacy... protect the interest of the state and serve warrants on any citizen who threatens it... My prayers for you and your family.
Well, that relieves the police of anything to be blamed for. SHE MADE THE DECISION. They could not stop her, OR THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN BLAMED FOR ILLEGALLY STOPPING HER FROM LEAVING!!!
I sure the police would have liked more to help your son but the municipal legal department had set up this "correct" procedure that the department must have to abide. Everyone must be mistreated equally in order to avoid lawsuits.
As I've said before, I miss Peace Officers.
Stealing cars is what we hire cops to PREVENT... yet the biggest car thieves/carjackers around wear blue uniforms. I am out on the roads daily and I see cops pulling folks over and stealing their cars all too regularly. It's all about fundraising for either their budget or for the city's coffers. It is NOT about public safety or providing services to the ones who are compelled to pay their inflated salaries and buy the fancy firearms and uniforms and jackboots these OFFICIAL thugs wear. Where I live, the cops are all OVER you for anything they can get, but if you have a burglary or something, the PD will MAIL you a report form to fill out... 'cause their "officers" are too busy jacking cars to do their damned jobs. I guess it's because someone with an expired registration is not too likely to shoot back at a cop and, at the end of his day, the cop is damned well going to go home, no matter WHAT might happen to the citizenry of his town or city. Perhaps the last GOOD cops around are the ones who actually responded to the Twin Towers on 9-11 and died doing their job. Pity the rest of the country who have NO good cops anymore.
I wasn’t aware the local cops ran a taxi service.
It wasn't her car.
An unfortunate incident, to be sure.
This article has a little more information.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3661250
UPLAND
[snip]After Magba-Kamara was arrested, the woman identified him as her assailant, and evidence that linked him to the crime was in his car, Mendenhall said. Police also recovered the gun, which they said turned out to be an air pistol.
The woman was treated and released at a local hospital. She suffered bruises on her arms.
Mendenhall said police don't like to leave people stranded alone on streets.
Officers will often take them to 24-hour restaurants or even allow them to wait in the police station lobby for their rides.
This woman didn't want that, he said.
"We certainly didn't leave her stranded," he said. "There were better options for her to take."
Curtis Cope, an expert in police procedure, said Friday it appears Upland police acted within the law in allowing the woman to walk home alone.
"It sounds like an offer for assistance was made, and that would be consistent with good police practice," Cope said.
In some cases, officers can drive a person home, but that depends on how busy the officer is and how far the person needs to travel to get to his destination, said Cope, who spent 29 years as a policeman and now works as an instructor on proper tactics.
Normally, police will help the person call a cab or arrange transportation. If the person chooses to walk, police must let them, he said.
According to court records, Magba-Kamara has a pending case against him alleging he committed a robbery at a fast-food restaurant on Holt Boulevard in Montclair.
He was out of jail on that case on his own recognizance at the time of the incident.
Yep.
But you are aware they are paid by the taxpayers.
Another thing not to do to add to your list - stopping at the scene of an accident - er "crash" to render aid.
I am familiar with a circumstance locally where a retired Navy officer and his son did just that. Unfortunately, they were on their way home after a burger and a beer at a sports bar. Passenger was ejected, and the naval officer was on his knees on the side of the road keeping the ejectee's airway open.
He was ordered to stand down and move away at gunpoint, did so, then went back when the victim stopped breathing.
You guessed it - DWI, failure to obey, etc.
In the course of "inventorying" his vehicle prior to the tow, LEO found a loaded pistol - add negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Charged, prosecuted, tried, convicted, and sentenced.
It just doesn't pay anymore.
They could have let her use their phone.
Good thing they found the pot though. That's what's important.
Your situation sucks big time and you could easily see the same amount of time as an armed robber. Have you gone to the papers?
P.S. Will pray for you.
John
y didnt even find any pot thats what is so f'ed up about this story
iver of the car, who was not identified, was arrested on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia
But you are aware they are paid by the taxpayers.
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