U.S. Woman Raped By Mexico Cops?

Charges Against 4 Tijuana Officers Linked To Rape Of Tourist

(AP)  Four city police officers have been ordered held for trial in connection with the rape of an American tourist.

A judge ordered officer Hector Manuel Arias tried for alleged rape. Officers Jesus Armando Ortiz and Benjamin Rodriguez are charged with abuse of authority and Victor Lopez with cover-up.

Charges were filed against the officers on Nov. 21. They were denied bail.

The victim told authorities that she, her husband and her young son were on the way back into the United States after a day trip on Oct. 7 when four officers stopped them outside the Viva Tijuana shopping center, 55 yards from the San Ysidro Port of Entry, accusing them of a traffic violation.

Two of the officers forced the father and son to walk to nearby ATM machines to obtain the bribe money. Another officer took the wife to a police post and raped her while the fourth officer stood guard outside, according to the criminal complaint the family filed with the Baja California state attorney general's office.

After returning to the United States, the family contacted U.S. authorities. The husband and wife returned to Tijuana and identified the suspects from pictures of local police officers, said Liza Davis, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana.

The rape victim and her family asked consulate officials not to release their names or their home state.