A woman at a party was allegedly gang-raped by three New Mexico firefighters before she managed to escape through a window. Police said that they have arrested the trio, one of whom is retired, in connection with an alleged assault that occurred on July 15 following a day of excessive drinking.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue Lieutenant Aden Heyman, 46, Firefighter Angel Portillo, 32, and former driver Anthony Martin, 44, were arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree rape, as reported by KOB4. The alleged victim, whose identity is protected by law, claimed Heyman joined Martin and Portillo after they went swimming at Martin's apartment complex after attending a golf tournament together.
Targeted and Raped Her after Binge Drinking
According to police documents obtained by the Albuquerque Journal, the woman, whose sister worked with the trio, agreed to visit Martin's home on July 15 after a day of drinking with him and Portillo at a golf tournament.
At Martin's home, they "were swimming, laughing and having fun," as per the statements provided to the police by the women. However, the atmosphere reportedly changed when Heyman arrived, according to the documents.
Their day of drinking and poolside enjoyment soon took a horrifying turn, as the woman recounted that she "lost a couple of hours," only to wake up later, with the three men gang-raping her, according to local news outlet KOB4.
The victim claimed to authorities that Heyman was "coaching them on how to rape" as well. She said, "I was able to escape through a window in the bathroom."
According to investigators, a tenant of the apartment building found the woman and alerted the police.
Victim Somehow Managed to Escape the Horror
Following the woman's report to the police, a search of her relative's phone revealed messages exchanged between the victim's family member and the firefighters who stand accused.
The alleged incident occurred at the Villas in Menaul, located in central New Mexico.
Heyman and Portillo are both employed by the Albuquerque Fire Department, while Martin recently retired from his position.
According to local reports, the firefighters appeared in court via video link on Thursday, following a month-long investigation.
These court hearings were short, and the firefighters did not make any statements. On Thursday, prosecutors filed a request to keep all three men in custody until their trial.
Albuquerque Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo released a statement in which she mentioned that all three suspects were immediately put on administrative leave and described their case as "alarming."
She refrained from providing additional comments due to the ongoing criminal investigation, but she assured the department's commitment to full cooperation with the police inquiry.
Miguel Tittmann, the president of the local firefighters' union, redirected all inquiries to the city authorities.
