Dec. 09--The second of two suspects in the sexual assault of two women early on Halloween on the Near West Side has turned himself in, prosecutors said Monday.
Brian Ventura, 26, of Plainfield, is charged along with Greg Bogacz, 27, with aggravated criminal sexual assault in the attack on two women, ages 29 and 30, a little after 3:15 a.m. on Halloween in the 800 block of West Wayman Street. Ventura and Bogacz left a nearby nightclub just before the two women, prosecutors said. Cook County Criminal Court Judge James R. Brown ordered Ventura held in lieu of $300,000 bail in a hearing midday Monday.
A warrant had been sworn out for Ventura's arrest last month, and he turned himself in to police last week, according to prosecutors and court records. Bogacz was charged Nov. 11 remains in Cook County Jail, being held in lieu of $300,000 bail, according to records.
The attacks took place after two women went to The Mid nightclub, 306 N. Halsted St., late on Oct. 30 and left about 3:15 a.m. to go to their SUV, which was parked on Wayman, according to Assistant State's Attorney Alex Molesky.
Unknown to the women, Bogacz and Ventura, who a tipster later told investigators had earlier been drinking and taking drugs at a party, had gone into the nightclub just before 3 a.m. and left about 3:15 a.m., prosecutors said.
When the women went outside, Ventura and Bogacz approached them and grabbed the women's buttocks several times, then walked away. The two women went to their SUV and found that one of the windows was broken and several things had been taken from the SUV, prosecutors said.
As the 30-year-old woman stood on the driver's side of the SUV and the younger woman stood on the other side, Bogacz came up behind the 29-year-old and choked her, muffling her screams for help, while Ventura choked the 30-year-old until she passed out, prosecutors said.
The men threw the women into the SUV's back seat and got in with them and began ripping their clothes off, while telling the women they would kill them, prosecutors said. Bogacz got into the cargo area of the SUV with the older woman, while Ventura stayed in the back seat with the 29-year-old.
Bogacz forced the 30-year-old to perform a sex act on him and sexually abused her in other ways but was unable to assault her a second time because he was unable to maintain an erection, prosecutors said. Ventura forced the 29-year-old to perform a sex act on him but also was unable to assault the woman a second time because he could not maintain an erection.
Ventura again forced the 29-year-old to perform a sex act on him, punched her in the face several times, giving her a nosebleed, black eyes and orbital fractures to her right eye socket, prosecutors said.
The men then forced the women to switch places in the SUV as well as switch from one man to the other and forced each of them to perform the same sex act again, prosecutors said. The men ordered the women again to switch places, but as they were moving in the SUV, the 30-year-old woman escaped from the vehicle, prosecutors said.
The woman ran, almost naked, for several blocks until she came to a warehouse, where she found several people who were working, and they called 911, prosecutors said.
As the older woman ran, Ventura grabbed the almost naked 29-year-old by the hair and began dragging her down the street toward his vehicle but was spotted by someone who called 911, prosecutors said. Bogacz and Ventura got into the vehicle and drove away, but a witness was able to get a partial license plate number for the vehicle.
The two women were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Investigators were able to get surveillance video from The Mid that shows the two men going into the nightclub just before 3 a.m. and leaving about 3:15 a.m., prosecutors said. A few days later, the victims identified their attackers on the video, and still photos and video were distributed to the news media.
Investigators then received "multiple" anonymous calls identifying the attackers by name and date of birth, according to prosecutors, and police were able to find Bogacz after an investigative alert was sent out to police. Both victims identified Bogacz in physical lineups, and witnesses identified in photo lineups.
Ventura's attorney said Monday that he grew up in the Plainfield and Naperville area, and has two daughters, including a 6-month-old.
Tribune reporter Steve Schmadeke contributed
