The jury has heard all the evidence in the trial of one of two teenage boys accused of kidnapping and raping two young girls last year.
The case of William Rodriguez is in the hands of the jury. Prosecutors argued 17-year old Rodriguez conspired with a friend to attack the 16-year old girls last year in a Rancho Peñasquitos park.
"While the girls looked for a place to have a conversation, the defendants saw the girls and formed a conspiracy, a conspiracy to kidnap and to rape which resulted in a brutal, prolonged sexual assault,” said Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick.
Patrick said the two teenagers attacked the girls from behind as they sat under a tree in September last year.
She said they forced the victims across a street at knife point to a secluded area where the attack lasted 30 minutes.
Rodriguez's defense attorney focused on his confession that he made about a week after the incident.
She said Rodriguez cooperated with police and was remorseful. But she said the girls must have been confused about whether her client committed certain sexual acts.
“You've heard William Rodriguez's confession, you heard he didn't play any games, when the detectives told him why they were there and that he, they knew that he was responsible, that he did it, what did he do? He started nodding. He didn't play games, he didn't blame,” said defense attorney Dana Feuling.
If there's a verdict in this case, it will be sealed and not read until the verdicts in the second case come back.
The trial for the other defendant 17-year-old Leonel Contreras began this afternoon and is expected to conclude Monday.
Both are being tried as adults before separate juries. If convicted, they each could be sentenced to several life terms in prison.
