Man Gets 146 Years in Gang Rapes of 2 Girls

A 20-year-old Anaheim man was sentenced Friday to 146 years in prison for his part in gang rapes of two teen-age girls at a community center.

Gilbert De La Cruz, one of four suspected Anaheim gang members charged in the rapes, sat without visible emotion as Superior Court Judge Richard L. Weatherspoon announced the sentence. De La Cruz will be eligible for parole at the age of 92.

Members of his family sobbed in the courtroom. The victims were not present.

The two rapes occurred last year at the Anaheim Independencia Community Center, where the victims had become separated from their friends, according to a court sentencing report.

On Sept. 12, a 15-year-old girl was held down by several people, and a knife was held to her neck while up to 12 youths raped her, the report said.

On Nov. 7, a 14-year-old girl was raped by several people after being left behind by her girlfriends about 2:30 a.m., according to the sentencing report. After a struggle, the girl was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious, remaining there about three hours.

In statements to authorities, De La Cruz admitted that he participated in the first rape after smoking methamphetamine. He told a probation officer it was “the worst thing I ever did by far.”

He denied involvement in the second rape, saying he was at his girlfriend’s house.

De La Cruz, whom the judge called a “serious danger to society,” has a long Juvenile Court record and was on probation at the time of the rapes for assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records.

He faced a maximum of 285 years in prison for his conviction on 22 counts of rape, using a weapon and aiding others in a crime, prosecutor Camille Hill said.

Only four people in either rape have been identified by the victims or through DNA testing, she said.

Two juveniles have been sentenced to the California Youth Authority, where they can be held until they turn 25, while a third adult is awaiting trial, Hill said.