COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Three Nigerian-born brothers were accused of kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old girl in December, prosecutors said.
Aziz Animashaun, 22, Isiaka Animashaun, 25, and Taiwo Animashaun, 26, were charged with aggravated criminal assault and kidnapping in connection with the crime police said happened on Dec. 21.
Prosecutors said during Sunday bond court that the men were among a total of five to six attackers, the rest of whom have not been charged.
The brothers live on the South Side of Chicago but were born in Nigeria, according to court documents. Documents show they live in the 500 block of East 83rd Street in Chatham, about a block away from where police said the girl was kidnapped.
The girl was taking care of her brother and throwing out the trash when an SUV with five to six men inside drove up, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Hamelly.
Aziz Animashaun allegedly got out of the car and and told the girl to get in, Hamelly said.
When the girl refused, Aziz Animashaun struck her with a "shiny revolver," according to court documents. Police said she was knocked unconcious.
He put the girl into the car and drove to another location, where the girl was forced to have sex with five to six men, Hamelly said.
Sometime during the assault, the girl heard the men speaking a language other than English, police and Hamelly said.
The victim managed to escape once the men were no longer in the room, Hamelly said. She ran from the location and and noticed the black SUV in a driveway, Hamelly said. Cops said that the victim made it home, and her sister called police.
The girl was kidnapped in the 400 block of East 83rd Street, police said. Police said two were being held for questioning a day after the incident, though they were not charged.
DNA recovered from a condom was linked to evidence found at the crime scene, according to court documents. Court documents also show the victim postively identified Aziz Animashaun as the man who hit her with a gun.
A "19th century" handgun matching the description of the one Aziz Animashaun allegedly used was recovered, Hamelly said.
Hamelly also said that based on the victim's experience with a teacher who speaks a language spoken in Nigeria, she was able to identify that the men who attacked her spoke a similar language.
The three were arrested on Friday, according to court documents.
Judge Israel Desierto ordered bail for Taiwo Animashaun set at $500,000, Aziz Animashaun set at $400,000 and Isiaka Animashaun set at $250,000.
