5 teens charged in connection to violent sexual assault in Mint Hill

MINT HILL, N.C. — Five teens have been charged in a violent sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in Mint Hill, police said.

Officers said they found the victim naked in a field next to an apartment complex on Stoney Trace Drive, off Margaret Wallace Road, Thursday afternoon.

Police said they found a female wearing no clothes lying in the grass near the building and that it appeared she was the victim of a violent sexual assault.

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Five male teens, including two juveniles, were arrested.

Jhovany Roman, 17, and Felix Reyes, 16, and the two juveniles, who police said are both 15 years old, were charged with one count of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree sex offense, one count of assault by strangulation inflicting physical injury and three counts felony conspiracy.

Eduardo Garcia, 16, was charged with three counts of felony conspiracy.

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Investigators said the attack happened behind an apartment building where someone found the girl lying naked in the grass and called for help.

The victim was transported to Novant Hospital in Charlotte for medical treatment. Her condition is unknown.

Channel 9 spoke with several people who live in that building who said they didn't hear or see anything until police arrived.

“I just came back from my walk and I saw lots of cop cars and I was really scared,” said Tierra Timbers. “I didn't know what was going on and they wouldn't let me go back into my apartment.”

“It's so unsettling to know something like that happened, especially since my sister was home alone,” said Tamara Timbers.

The three teenagers charged as adults made their first court appearances Friday afternoon.

In court, a family member said there is video of the alleged sexual assault.

After court, a cousin of one of the suspects told Channel 9 that she had been drinking with the boys before the assault.

“I know one of the dudes and I wouldn't expect him to do nothing like that,” neighbor Antoine Lockhart said.

Lockhart and his friends said they know one of the teenagers -- one of the 15 year olds -– but never thought he'd be involved in something like this.

“We chill with this man everyday so we thought he was just a cool calm and collected person and wouldn't do something like that,” neighbor Andre Renick said. “But I guess your true colors come out, sooner or later.”

“It's going to impact these boys for the rest of their lives and it's going to impact this girl and her family certainly for the rest of their lives,” said Karen Parker, of Safe Alliance, an agency that counsels victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

She said as tragic as it is, though, it may provide an opportunity for parents to speak with the teenagers about a tough topic.

“When you see this on TV tonight to be able to sit down with your kids and say what would you do if you saw a situation like this,” she said.

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