Salem students indicted for gang-rape of Lynn teenager

SALEM – Four Salem High School students accused of gang-raping a teenage girl at a Lynn home in February have been indicted by an Essex County grand jury.Harold Baltodano, 18, of 55 Baltimore St., #2, Lynn, Brito Rafael Nina, 18, of 6 Laurent St., Salem, Luis Arias, 18, of 38 Salem St., #4, Salem, and Justin Louf, 17, of 99 Lawrence St., Apt. 2, Salem, stand charged with aggravated rape in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl, who thought the men were giving her a ride home after a basketball game in Lynn.According to reports, the incident started Feb. 15 after the girl attended a basketball game at Lynn English High School with a friend. They went to the other girl’s house where they apparently drank cognac. After a period of time the girl called several friends trying to find a ride back home to Salem, but to no avail.She reportedly then called Baltodano, an acquaintance, and he arrived in a vehicle with the three other suspects. She knew Arias because she had seen him at school, but did not know Nina or Louf, the victim told authorities.At some point, they all partook of a bottle of rum and reportedly smoked marijuana in the car.Instead of taking the victim home, Arias, the apparent driver, drove to the Lynn home of one of the suspects where they all got out of the car.As the victim kept insisting she wanted them to drive her home, they escorted her into the house, telling her they would only be there a short time. Once inside, the men stripped off their clothes, then her clothes and threw her onto a mattress, where they gang-raped and sodimized her while calling her derogatory names.After the assault, they drove the victim back to her friend’s house in Lynn where she fell asleep.At some point, she woke up and noticed blood on her clothes and body when she tried to go to the bathroom.She then managed to contact another friend around 8 a.m., on Feb. 16 who immediately drove her to a local hospital where doctors performed a rape kit.The indictments handed up now move the case from Lynn District Court to Salem Superior Court, where they will be re-arraigned within a few weeks.They have been held on $10,000 cash bail, it is unclear whether any made bail at this time.A conviction on the crime carries a potential 20 years in state prison.Assistant District Attorney Jessica P. Connors is prosecuting the case for the commonwealth.