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Apollo Beach Rape Victim Has Spirit Of Lion, Sister Says

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 18, 2008

TAMPA - Jacey Laundree, the sister of one of the two Apollo Beach restaurant workers who said they were kidnapped and raped in August by three unknown attackers, spoke out Monday night about the impact the incident has had on her family.

Rigoberto Moron Martinez, Vicente Reyes-Carbajal and 13-year-old Jose Walle were charged in the rapes as well as in a similar attack at a St. Petersburg restaurant in July. Martinez also faces another rape charge in Hillsborough County.

About 300 pages of documents in the Apollo Beach case were released last week. In an e-mail response to the Tribune on Monday night, Laundree wrote:

"What I can say is that our entire family has suffered a great deal because of the actions of Rigoberto, Jose, and Vicente upon my sister and her friend. Strangely, my sister seems stronger than all of us in the family, as she is determined that these men claim absolutely none of her — not during that night, not ever. It has taken us a very long time to overcome the trauma we've endured. Our collective goal is to move forward. We cannot afford to relive those weeks after the abduction. Speaking for my family, it was the most difficult ordeal we faced together — and we can't bear to rehash it again, especially with the holidays approaching. We're finally reaching a point where we can have normal conversations again.

"Please understand that we mean no disrespect; however, our first duty is our preservation. My sister has stated that she won't ever be ready to tell people about her night with those animals. I believe she has the spirit of [a] lion and she is a heroine; there are not many people on this earth such as her. I do not say that because she is my sister. I say it because I know what happened to her that night and I have watched how she's moved on after the blessing of a second chance at life. She is more brave than I or you could ever dream of being.

"Last, I want to share that we hope the three criminals are punished to the full extent of the law. We hope for no leniency, no deals, no sympathy — as my sister and her friend saw none during that night. These boys knew what they were doing; it was a planned act. Our family asks that the criminal justice system plan, too — punish them and protect our citizens by putting them away for a very long time."

Laundree's sister has not been publically identified. The Tribune does not name rape victims.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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