Authorities: 4 charged for torturing NJ teen in Massachusetts home

<p>Four Massachusetts residents have been charged with keeping a 16-year-old girl from New Jersey in a basement that a police officer described as a &ldquo;torture chamber.&rdquo;</p>

News 12 Staff

Jan 10, 2018, 11:16 PM

Updated 2,304 days ago

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Four Massachusetts residents have been charged with keeping a 16-year-old girl from New Jersey in a basement that a police officer described as a “torture chamber.”
The four suspects faced a judge Wednesday. They were identified as Christopher and Krystal Lugo, Yariel Torres-Abee and Yuleny Ortiz.
“Krystal Lugo and the others organized a deliberate, organized torture chamber for the victim,” said assistant prosecutor Tara Nechev.
Officials say that the teenager was taped to a chair, sexually assaulted, had her hair shaved off and was burned with a cigarette. Prosecutors allege that this was all in retaliation for a home invasion the suspects believed that the teen help set up. 
That home invasion allegedly occurred on Dec. 27. 
"A machete was held at the victim's neck at the direction of Krystal. And Krystal told the victim that if she lied or continued to lie, they would hold the machete closer to her neck,” Nechev said.
Officials say that when officers arrived at the home they found the teen sitting on the edge of a mattress crying. She told the officers that eight people were involved in the torture, according to authorities.
"They all sat around and talked about what they would do to the victim,” Nechev told the judge.
Krystal Lugo’s defense attorney tried to downplay what allegedly happened inside the home, but received some pushback from one of the responding officers.
"The walls are finished correct? It's not just concrete walls or dirt walls, correct?” the attorney asked.
"Except for the torture chamber, it looks like an interrogation room,” the officer responded.
Krytal Lugo was held without bail. The judge was not able to review the case fully for the other three defendants. They will be back in court at a later date.
The teen’s identity and where she is from in New Jersey have not been released by officials.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.


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