San Diego

A 23-year-old San Diego woman was beaten and raped early Saturday at Chicano Park by a group of men police believe to be members of a street gang.

The assault came just two weeks after the park was the scene of a similar attack in which a young female was allegedly sexually assaulted by another group of gang members.

The woman in Saturday’s attack was surrounded by six gang members who hit her on the head and body with a board, police said, adding that the six assailants then raped her.

“Her face was pretty well mangled, and she underwent a brain scan today,” police spokesman Bill Robinson said.

Police said the woman was being treated in the intensive-care unit at San Diego Physicians & Surgeons Hospital.

Though police had not had an opportunity to interview the victim, members of the police sex-crimes and gang units were working on the case, Robinson said.

He said the woman was assaulted about 4:30 a.m near the basketball court next to Interstate 5 and Chicano Park.

One of the suspects was described as a 30-year-old male; the other five suspects were believed to be males 16 to 17.

Police said that about two weeks ago, another group of gang members sexually assaulted a juvenile female at the same park. Six men were arrested in that case and remain custody.