A beautiful Louisiana State University student died a tragic death after she was raped by men she met at a bar earlier in the evening.
Madison Brooks, 19, was struck by a car while on the roadway early on Jan. 15 and died at a local hospital, according to authorities. The driver, who was determined not to be impaired and contacted emergency personnel immediately, has not been charged, the sheriff’s office said.
Hours before the deadly incident, Brooks was captured on surveillance footage stumbling and falling at a Baton Rouge bar, before leaving with four suspects, who were arrested on Monday.
The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office arrested four people, including three teenagers, in connection with the alleged sexual assault.
The four suspects met the victim at the bar, Reggie’s, and were taking her home, when two of them allegedly raped her, according to the arrest warrant affidavits.
Kaivon Washington, 18, and a 17-year-old male were arrested and charged with third-degree rape, court records show.
Casen Carver, 18, and Everett Lee, 28, were also arrested and charged as principles to third-degree rape, court records show.
Carver, Lee and Washington were booked on Monday and appeared in court for a bond hearing Tuesday morning, during which their bail was set at $50,000, $75,000 and $150,000, respectively, according to the East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court.
The 17-year-old was booked into juvenile Detention and has not been identified by the sheriff’s office because he is a minor.
During an interview with detectives on Jan. 16, Carver reportedly stated that while walking to his car from the bar, Brooks “was very unstable on her feet, was not able to keep her balance, and was unable to speak clearly without slurring her words,” the affidavits stated.
Carver reportedly told detectives that Madison Brooks had asked for a ride home and “he admitted that he agreed to give her the ride because he did not want to leave her while very intoxicated and the bar was closing,” according to the affidavits.
Authorities also seized surveillance footage from the bar and nearby businesses which show Madi arriving at the bar at 10.06pm, with Carver, Lee, Washington and the teenage boy arriving at 10.18pm.
Officers say in their affidavit that at 1am Madi was seen sitting on a stool by the counter at the bar before stumbling, and got back to her feet with the help of the men.
At 1.34am she was seen sitting on a bench by the entrance door before falling again, with the teenager approaching her, removing her cap and helping her to get to her feet.
The group was seen leaving the bar at 1.49am, with the vehicle last seen at 1.59am.
Carver stated he asked for Brooks’ address but “she fell over and could not answer him,” according to the affidavits.
Carver told police that the 17-year-old and Washington both had sex with the victim in the back seat of the car.
Carver, who was driving the vehicle, told cops that he asked Madi where her friends were, but she said she did not know and appeared ‘drunk’.
He reportedly told detectives he soon parked at a nearby street, at which point the 17-year-old allegedly asked her “five times” to have sex and she consented, according to the affidavits. Then, Carver reportedly told detectives he heard Washington “ask the victim numerous times if she wanted to have sex, and she consented,” according to the affidavits.
Carver and Lee, who was identified as Washington’s uncle, allegedly remained in the front seats of the car the entire time, according to the affidavits.
Carver reportedly stated “we got to stop this, let’s go,” according to the affidavits. He started driving and ultimately dropped her off in a subdivision, according to the affidavits.
Madi was dumped less than a ten-minute car journey from the bar before being hit by a ride-share car at 2:50am.
Brooks was hit by a car while in the middle of a roadway near the subdivision. Her blood alcohol content upon being admitted to the hospital was .319, according to the affidavits. The state’s legal limit to drive is .08.
When asked if Brooks was too impaired to consent, Carver allegedly replied, “I guess,” according to the affidavits.
The 17-year-old suspect and his mother did not want to provide a statement to detectives, while Lee reportedly confirmed to detectives that he was in the passenger seat that night, according to the affidavits.
Washington waived his right to an attorney and agreed to provide a statement on Jan. 21, during which he reportedly denied having sex with the victim, according to the affidavits. When asked to conduct an oral DNA swap, he “requested an attorney,” according to the affidavits.
In a phone interview with ABC Baton Rouge affiliate WBRZ before his surrender, Washington denied raping Brooks and said the sex was consensual, WBRZ reported.
His attorney, Ron Haley, also denied the rape allegations and told WBRZ that they have video proof that refutes the claims.
Attorney information for Carver and Lee was not immediately available.
In a statement to the school community following news of the arrests, LSU President William Tate called this a “horrific scenario.”
“Madison was a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a niece, a classmate, and a friend to many of you,” he said. “By all accounts, she was an amazing young woman with limitless potential. She should not have been taken from us in this way. What happened to her was evil, and our legal system will parcel out justice.”
Tate also condemned that Brooks and three of the suspects were underage yet “able to consume alcohol at a local bar.”
“As such, our action plan starts with a deep and relentless focus on any establishment that profits off our students by providing alcohol to underage individuals,” he said. “In the coming days, we will call a meeting with these business owners to discuss how their responsibilities directly impact the safety of our students. We will work openly against any business that doesn’t join us in efforts toward creating a safer environment for our students. Enough is enough.”
State regulators announced on Tuesday they have temporarily suspended Reggie’s liquor license over “recent incidents at this establishment.”
“Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the potential threat to public safety, an emergency suspension will be issued today,” the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control said in a statement. “This action immediately suspends the service or sale of alcoholic beverages at this location. An emergency hearing will be held next month to determine what penalties (if any) should be imposed following a presentation of the evidence.”
In a statement to WBRZ, Reggie’s said the bar’s owner “has fully cooperated with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police and the East Baton Rouge [Alcoholic Beverage Control] office since their first requests for assistance in their ongoing investigations and will continue to do so.”
CRAZY STORY.
For two black teens to rape a pretty, blonde white woman, I just don’t know what world they thought they lived in. We already know that their sentence is going to be hefty.
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