Glendale man pleads not-guilty in rape case
A 19-year-old Glendale man pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he raped his girlfriend’s best friend following Father’s Day festivities, officials said.
Jose Landaverde was charged with rape and sodomy by use of force in connection to the incident, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
He was taken into police custody about 5 a.m. Tuesday after detectives obtained arrest and search warrants for his home in the 400 block of South Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. He was being held Thursday in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Landaverde, his girlfriend and her 19-year-old best friend had started drinking alcohol in celebration of Father’s Day on Saturday afternoon before heading to a club in Santa Monica and ending up at a home near North Kenwood Street and East Lexington Drive at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, Lorenz said.
That’s when things quickly changed, police said.
“It was a Father’s Day event that went awry,” Lorenz said.
Landaverde’s girlfriend, with whom he has two children, was sleeping inside a van while he and the best friend were inside the apartment with the apartment’s resident, Lorenz said.
The best friend reportedly left the apartment to check on Landaverde’s girlfriend in the carport. Landaverde followed her and attempted to kiss her, Lorenz said. When she rejected his advances, he pushed her to ground and raped her, Lorenz added.
After the attack, the victim ran through an alley but didn’t recognize the area and tried calling Landaverde’s girlfriend.
When her cell phone died, she decided to walk to the couple’s home, where she tried to tell Landaverde’s girlfriend what had happened, Lorenz said. She ultimately had another friend take
her to a local hospital for treatment, he added.
The hospital notified police about 2:50 p.m. Sunday.
Landaverde is scheduled to appear June 25 in Los Angeles County Superior Court to review his bail. He was also ordered to stay 300 yards away from the victim.
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