University Student Allegedly Commits Rape at a Sorority House, Threatens Witnesses
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BERKELEY CA – A university student faces multiple charges for allegedly raping a woman at a sorority house and threatening witnesses. The victim was strangled and sexually assaulted off-campus at the University of California/Berkeley. Ivan A. Gonzalez, 20, was arrested February 15 at 5:38 a.m. He was taken into custody inside the Alpha Chi Omega sorority residence at 2313 Warring Street. Gonzales is being housed in custody at Santa Rita Jail in lieu of $350,000 bond, pending his plea hearing on February 27.
The suspect and victim had a dating relationship that soured. Nevertheless, the victim allowed him to enter inside her sorority house. An argument between them escalated to violence; he allegedly barricaded her inside a room prior to the assault. Her screams for help alerted other residents who phoned Berkeley PD.
Witnesses saw a man on top of the woman before she was able to escape from him. They held the man down until officers arrived on the scene within minutes. Meanwhile, he allegedly threatened witnesses and damaged a phone belonging to one of the witnesses. He might have been high on drugs at the time, as police found suspected methamphetamine in his possession.
Gonzales faces 18 felony charges for what happened in the sorority house. His charges and special allegations include false imprisonment, forcible rape, corporal injury to a relationship partner and domestic violence. He has also been charged with threatening witnesses and damaging the cell phone of a witness.
by Jim Emerson
