Dennis RomeroThe Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival seemed to go off smoothly again this year, but its cousin, the weekend's Stagecoach country music concert, seems to have had problems with sex crimes.
Some are implicating the fest's more liberal alcohol policy, which lets 21-and-up patrons bring in cases of their own beer.
On Friday night a 17-year-old girl said she was raped …
… by three men who had broken into the Porta-Potty she was using near the three-day concert's entrance, police told the mydesert.com website.
Stagecoach.; Credit: Jeff Wright
It happened at about 8:30 p.m., according to the site: The girl immediately sought medical attention, and cops were called.
Good descriptions of the men were not available.
If true, it wouldn't be the first time for Stagecoach, which this year featured Blake Shelton, Cheryl Crow, Kenny Rogers and more.
Last year Darin Ledale Garrett of L.A. was convicted of raping a 23-year-old woman who was looking for her car and asked for his help during the 2011 country festival. He was a parking lot attendant at the event.
Mydesert.com says that alcohol is allowed “everywhere” during Stagecoach whereas, at Coachella, it's limited to certain areas.
Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron says, when it comes to partying in the desert, Stage coach organizers are “more outgoing on their cowboy theme.”
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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