Not guilty plea in Round Lake Beach rape

The first of four men accused of repeatedly raping a 26-year-old Round Lake Beach woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Salvador Elias, 21, of the 1600 block of Channel Drive, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata said the woman was in a Round Lake Beach tavern in the early morning hours of Aug. 9 and accepted a ride from a man with a pickup truck.

Accompanying the driver of the truck were Marco Ortiz-Garcia, 29, of the 1400 block of Park Avenue, Round Lake Beach, and Miguel Godinez-Garica, 27, of 300 block of Meadowgreen Lane, Round Lake Beach.

Kalata said the woman passed out in the back of the truck at a party somewhere on Meadowgreen Lane and awoke to find Ortiz-Garcia raping her.

Godinez-Garcia then began raping her, Kalata said, and the woman called 911 on her cell phone and screamed for help before the phone was taken away from her.

Elias arrived at the scene, Kalata said, hit Godinez-Garcia in the head and took his wallet.

Elias forced the woman into a car being driven by Bruno Vargas-Rios, 33, 3400 block of Michael Avenue, Park City, and drove to her house.

Along the route, Elias took money out of Godinez-Garcia's wallet and threw the wallet out of the car window, Kalata said. Later, police were found the wallet.

Once at the woman's house, Kalata said, both Elias and Vargas-Rios repeatedly raped the woman and threatened her with the gun.

Police found the woman's address by tracing the cell phone call she made, Kalata said, and Elias and Vargas-Rios ran to the back of the house when a squad car pulled into the driveway. Police arrested both at the scene.

Ortiz-Garcia and Godinez-Garcia were arrested later in the day after the woman identified their photographs.

All four are held on $1 million bond. Vargas-Rios is scheduled to appear in court today for arraignment. Ortiz-Garcia and Godinez- Garcia are scheduled to be arraigned Friday.