Teen Arrested For Raping Girls

A 15-year-old Banning boy has been arrested for raping two young girls and forcing a third to watch at gunpoint, police said.

The suspect, who fled after the attack Friday, was arrested Sunday when he showed up at one of the victims’ homes to inquire about a motorcycle for sale, Banning Police Sgt. Rick Hohmann said.

The victims, all 11 and from Banning, were walking near a shopping center around 6 p.m. Friday when the boy, armed with a rifle, threatened to kill them and forced them to walk behind the building, police said. There, he raped two of the girls, Hohmann said.

“We’ve had young girls raped before, but … not three taken at gunpoint like this,” Hohmann said. Though the girls were walking in a group, in daylight hours, the attacker had the advantage of their youth, he said.