DC teacher faces rape charges in Md.

WASHINGTON — A music teacher at a D.C. public elementary school is charged with raping a woman in his Silver Spring, Maryland, home.

Rudy Gonzalez, 47, has been placed on leave from his job at Shepherd Elementary School in Northwest D.C. as he faces four charges, including second-degree rape and first-degree assault.

Court documents say the woman, who knew Gonzalez, met him at Westfield Wheaton Mall Oct. 8 and accompanied him to his home on Pendleton Drive with the promise of learning English and getting help with citizenship.

The woman told police she was served “unidentified beverages” and passed out. She awakened the next day naked and in intense pain in Gonzalez’s bed. A medical exam at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center revealed that the woman had internal injuries that required surgery.

Gonzalez said the two drank tequila and the sexual encounter was consensual.

The victim told police Gonzalez left her near the Wendy’s at the Wheaton shopping mall. She was later found by a Wendy’s worker unconscious in the bushes.

Gonzalez is also facing charges of second-degree assault and third-degree sexual offense. He’s free on bond, pending a trial which is scheduled Nov. 9.

Dick Uliano

Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives.

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