Ex-Spokane Man Arrested After Gang Break-In, Rape Fresno-Area Girl Assaulted While Family Forced To Watch
A former Spokane resident was one of five gang members arrested in California Thursday for allegedly participating in the rape of a 10-yearold girl in her home.
The girl’s parents and her nine siblings were bound and forced to watch as she was molested by two of the armed intruders, said police in Clovis, a Fresno suburb.
Tou Lee “Johnny” Xiong, 20, was being held on $150,000 bond Friday. Clovis authorities said they plan to charge him with rape, child molestation, false imprisonment, use of a firearm during a felony and several other crimes.
Police did not release the names of the others who were arrested. They are minors from California.
It was not clear whether Xiong was accused of raping the girl. Police Sgt. John Fannon said sexual-assault charges are likely to be sought against all five since they all were involved in the break-in.
The intruders, who broke into the house about 4 a.m., were armed with a sawed-off shotgun and as many as three handguns, police said. They spent at least three hours ransacking the house before raping the girl.
Her father and a brother managed to free themselves and call police shortly after the youths left the house.
The girl received medical attention after the assault and was in good condition, authorities said. Her relatives were traumatized but reportedly uninjured.
The suspects were arrested Wednesday morning after a brief search. A California Highway Patrol officer spotted them driving a stolen car.
Officer Larry Saunders of the Spokane Police Department’s gang unit said Xiong was not recognized as a gang member in Spokane.
Juvenile court records show Xiong was arrested for petty theft, fourth-degree assault and being a minor in possession of alcohol in 1989 and 1990. He pleaded guilty to stealing a Datsun B210 in 1991.
In King County, he was arrested for auto theft in 1991 and for possessing stolen property in 1992.
The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Dan Hansen Staff writer McClatchy News Service contributed to this report.