A Lake Station man is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl earlier this month.
Johan Cardador, 24, of Lake Station, is charged with rape when compelled by force or imminent threat of force and with an enhancement, Level 1 felony; rape when compelled by force or imminent threat of force, a Level 3 felony; kidnapping while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 3 felony; kidnapping where committed by using a vehicle, a Level 5 felony; criminal confinement where a vehicle is used, a Level 5 felony; intimidation, where the defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony; three counts of child solicitation, all Level 5 felonies; and battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a Level 6 felony.
According to the probable cause affidavit, two girls were at a sleepover on July 8 when Victim 1, who is 13 years old, left the Hammond house to meet Johan Cardador. Her 15-year-old friend wasn’t worried since they had previously met Cardador. The victim and Cardador went under a bridge at the end of a street near the house and 90 minutes later the victim texted “help me,” court records state.
The 15-year-old was using her brother’s phone, so she alerted him and they ran toward the bridge when Cardador’s vehicle, a silver KIA K5, took off with the victim still inside.
The victim texted her friend, telling her that they had stopped at a liquor store, that Cardador had a gun and raped her, records state. She sent her friend a Google location PIN and the victim was found walking in the street by her friends in Lake Station. Cardador attempted to pull the victim back when she screamed “help me,” the affidavit states.
When the victim was led back to her friends’ car, her speech was incoherent. The teens started to drive home when they crashed the vehicle around 8 a.m., court records state. Later that morning, the 13-year-old was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake for treatment.
Police traveled to Cardador’s Lake Station home to interview him. Police asked where he had been the past 12 hours. He initially said home before changing his story to say he hung out with a girl in Hammond, records state. Police asked if he had the girl’s cell phone, which he said he did, and retrieved the phone, which had a Hello Kitty case.
He denied engaging in sexual activity with the girl, the affidavit states.
Cardador said he had been invited to a bonfire at a Hammond residence by one of the girls, but the 15-year-old said she wouldn’t be able to leave because she was in trouble with her mom. But the victim still wanted to hang out with him, court records state.
He said that he and the victim hung out in his SUV for about an hour and didn’t engage in any sexual activity. He claimed the victim tried to kiss him but he moved his head, so she kissed his cheek, records state. He said that he first thought she was 18, but then learned she was 15, and that was the reason he did not have sex with her. Asked about owning any firearms, he said he was prohibited from owning them due to mental health reasons, the affidavit states.
After an hour, Cardador said they traveled to Lake Station, where they went into his house and he took a nap. He said the victim began acting erratically, including running off to get in a car with her friends, court records state.
Police told Cardador that the victim was taken to the hospital due to allegations of sexual intercourse. Police asked if his DNA would be found, which led him to state that they had engaged in oral sex in his car, records state. He said after the sex, they went to his house.
Cardador was asked if the victim had consumed any substances, to which he responded that he wasn’t aware of any, the affidavit states. But he added that she may have taken shrooms, or hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Cardador consented to a DNA buccal swab but denied consent for any search warrants, court records state.
Police asked if he wished to add anything else to his statement, and Cardador said he brought shrooms and a BuzzBall alcoholic beverage. He got out of the car in Hammond to go to the bathroom and when he returned, the victim had found the shrooms and consumed a large amount, the affidavit states. Cardador said they then drank from the BuzzBall and had sex afterwards.
Using a search warrant, police found storage containers they suspected contained mushrooms, a weed grinder with marijuana residue, a 3-pack of condoms with one missing, and shoes and a T-shirt believed to belong to the victim, records state.
On July 10, police conducted a forensic interview with the victim, who is 13. She told police that she didn’t know Cardador but her friend introduced her to him on July 8, court records state.
When she got in the car with him, she told Cardador that she was 13 and he replied, “I don’t care.” She said she took a few shots from the BuzzBall in the car, the affidavit states. She said Cardador took her to his house near Gary, where he punched her and touched her. When they arrived, she said he punched her in the mouth and chest with a closed fist, court records state.
Cardador forcefully removed her clothing and she told him to stop, but he punched her again in the mouth.
More Top Picks Best Portable Blackout Blinds For Travel
Every time she said stop or no, Cardador would smack, punch or choke her, records state. He also brandished a gun at her “almost the whole time,” which scared her.
The girl said she was able to call her friend when Cardador fell asleep, the affidavit states.