4 Juveniles Arraigned in Rape of Watts Girl

Four juveniles accused of raping a 13-year-old girl, including a 12-year-old boy suspected of shooting an elderly Watts woman after the sexual assault, entered the equivalent of not guilty pleas Monday to rape charges.

Los Angeles police detectives expect to conclude their homicide investigation of the 12-year-old boy in a few days and present their case to the district attorney, said South Bureau Homicide Lt. John Dunkin. Detectives are still convinced the youngster fired the shot that killed 82-year-old Viola McClain.

“We didn’t just single out this guy out of the air,” Dunkin said. “We make arrests based on what information we have. . . . But there’s no reason for us to rush in regard to the murder. We’re still working on it.”

Dunkin said it might be a few days before the murder investigation is complete.

The juveniles--ages 17, 15, 14 and 12--were arraigned at the David Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center in South-Central Los Angeles. They will return to court Aug. 12, when a trial date will be set.

Superior Court Judge H. Randolph Moore Jr., who is assigned to the juvenile division, said the youths “were all very calm. A couple of them are just bitty, bitty kids.”

Moore said there will be future hearings to determine whether the three older boys will be tried as adults or juveniles. The 12-year-old is too young to be tried in adult court.

Dwight Pearson, the court-appointed attorney for the youngest boy, said he was angry that police earlier made a decision to release the youth’s name.

“We should not make the leap to judgment in a case involving a 12-year-old minor who asserts his innocence,” Pearson said. “ . . . We’ve already convicted this young boy.”

One adult, Reginald Barner, 20, was charged July 30 with five counts of sexual assault and will be arraigned Aug. 15.

Police suspect that the four juveniles participated in the sexual assault, and the investigation into their involvement is ongoing, authorities said.

A total of eight youths plus Barner have been arrested in connection with the case. They are suspected of raping the girl in an abandoned house across the street from Nickerson Gardens on July 26. They then allegedly tried to kill the girl by barricading her in a room and setting fire to the house after igniting several mattresses, authorities said.

McClain was killed in gunfire that erupted after her grandson, Dumar Starks, 33, confronted the boys as they set the fire. McClain was standing on her front porch next to the house where the rape occurred.

Starks fired several shots at the boy who allegedly killed his grandmother but missed him, authorities said. Dunkin said Starks was not arrested because he shot in self-defense.

Dunkin said he has not ruled out the possibility of more arrests in the rape and the killing.

Funeral services for Viola McClain were scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the Village Baptist Church at 1521 E. 111th St., a few doors down from McClain’s home of more than 60 years.

The Rev. Luther M. Curtis, pastor at Village Baptist Church, said the services will be especially bittersweet for him.

“She was there when my father was a pastor,” Curtis said. “She was baptized there.”

McClain, who had been a member of the church since 1941, was in charge of the bereavement committee at Village Baptist and organized meals for the families of the deceased.

“She also cooperated with every group in the church,” Curtis said. “She worked on the polls and encouraged our members to register to vote. Anybody that needed help, she was there. . . . She just gave herself.”

Curtis said the funeral will be difficult for him because they were so close. “And yet we’re going to celebrate her life. We’re not going to dwell on the tragedy. We’re going to comfort the family and friends.”

Times staff writers Miles Corwin and Abigail Goldman contributed to this story.