Two young men are in the Passaic County, N.J. jail after being charged with lacinig a popular and controversial caffeinated alcohol called Four Loko with sedatives in order to rape two high school girls.
"This was a complicated investigation that involved hours of police work, analysis of lab and forensic work all to make these arrests possible," said Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik, in explaining why the arrests came six months after the alleged rapes.
According to investigators, the two victims, 18-year-old high school students, had clearly said "No" to requests for sex, but were persuaded to go to the home of one of the suspects, Manuel Espinal, 24, of Prospect Park, N.J.
There, Espinal and Jose Cintron, 22, of Paterson are accused of lacing five drinks of Four Loko, as well as some rum, with sedatives that they then persuaded the girls to drink, and then raping them.
"As a father and Sheriff, I am glad that these two suspects are now under arrest and in the Passaic County Jail," said Berdnik.
Espinal is being held on $500,000 bail, and Cintron on $450,000, without the option of posting just ten per cent in cash to get out.
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