Suspects Identified in Gang Rape Case, 2 Arrests Made – One Suspect Still At Large
– By Jim Emerson
NOVATO, CA — Investigators have identified a third suspect in connection with a gang rape,
following recent arrests of two suspects.
Advancements in DNA technology enabled Novato
detectives to identify the three suspects in a cold case dating back to 2017.
Leads developed in the case revealed that one of the suspects was still living in Marin
County.
The first suspect who was arrested is Gilson O. DeLeon-Gramajo, 33, of San Rafael. Novato
PD arrested him in April.
Investigators later learned that a second suspect was living in Southern California. Miguel
Cruz-Revelo, 27, of Lynwood, was arrested in May. Novato police apprehended Cruz-Revelo with help from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. He was formerly a Novato resident.
The third outstanding suspect is Fernando Mendoza-Cruz, a 30-year-old, a former Novato
resident. Investigators believe that Mendoza-Cruz fled California and is now living in Central
America. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
“All three men have been charged with rape in concert, forcible rape, and sodomy,” Novato
police said in a prepared statement. “Advances in DNA technology since 2017 helped identify
the three suspects.”
The victim was intoxicated when she was raped in Novato in February 2017. Detectives
interviewed the victim and gathered evidence. She participated in medical examination and
evidence was collected. It was analyzed in 2017 but failed to identify any suspects at that
time. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this crime or whereabouts
of the third suspect Mendoza-Cruz can contact Novato police at 415-897-4361.
