Probation Office Blamed for Violent Rape

EUGENE, Ore. (CN) - A juvenile probationer beat and raped a woman after Oregon took him to a college football game to reward his "good behavior," even though he was a suspect in another attempted rape and murder, the rape victim claims in court.

The rapist, Jaime Tinoco Camarena, then 17, was sentenced in March 2015 to 14 years in prison for first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault, plaintiff H says in her Feb. 1 lawsuit in Federal Court.

She sued Washington County, its Juvenile Department and its juvenile counselor Joel Andrade. Tinoco is not named as a defendant.

H says Tinoco's supervisors took him to the Sept. 13, 2014 Oregon Ducks football game against the Wyoming Cowboys "as part of a 'rare and special event to reward the good behavior of juvenile offenders' sponsored, organized, and supervised by the Washington County Juvenile Department. Defendant Andrade was Tinoco's juvenile counselor and personally selected Tinoco and arranged for him to participate in the program," she says in the complaint.

Tinoco escaped supervision after the game, followed H on the street, dragged her into bushes and beat and raped her. He did this after repeatedly violating terms of his probation, H says.

For instance: "The night before the football game, Washington County law enforcement picked up Tinoco and cited him for driving without a license and breaking curfew. Defendants brought him to the game anyway."

Also: "A few weeks before Tinoco brutalized (H), another woman, Nicole Laube, had been stabbed to death close to Tinoco's home. Witnesses said they saw a man fitting the suspect's description running from the scene and into the apartment complex where Tinoco was living while on probation. On information and belief, Washington County officials believed that Tinoco was a possible suspect in the murder of Nicole Laube. Defendants brought him to the football game anyway."

Also: After Tinoco was arrested for raping H, he "provided information that led to his arrest for the aggravated murder of Nicole Laube. Investigators found that he had attempted to rape her and then stabbed her," according to the complaint.

And even if he hadn't been a murderer and rapist, H says, the county should have revoked his probation because he did not attend school, as required.

He was on supervised probation for first-degree burglary, possession of methamphetamine and harassment.

To top it off, H says, the defendants did not even notice Tinoco was missing until they had left Eugene and were driving the other probationers back to Washington County. They drove back to the football stadium in Eugene "about an hour after they left, but did not find Tinoco," she says.

She seeks damages for negligence, deprivation of due process, sexual assault, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

She is represented by Derek Johnson, with Johnson, Johnson & Schaller, of Eugene.

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