By Hector Flores
The incident brought a new wave of attention to a school that is still recovering from the psychic wounds of nearly two years ago, when it was revealed that three Mepham football players had sexually abused three teammates.
The alleged crime also set off a deluge of questions, including why the suspect, Eduardo Alvarez, went to Mepham when he lived in Freeport. Many also wondered whether the Mepham campus would be closed, since the alleged rape took place on the victim's lunch hour, when students are allowed to leave the school.
Bellmore-Merrick officials are investigating how and why Alvarez was able to attend Mepham. In a prepared statement, district officials said he "has been attending the school district every year since kindergarten. There has been no indication at any time that this student's address has changed, such as mail being returned when sent to the student's home. We are reviewing the questions that have arisen regarding the student's address."
Last week, the word around Mepham was that the campus would close. James, a Mepham sophomore who declined to give his last name, said, "There is talk in the school that the open-school policy will not be allowed next year. It's not fair that two kids ruined it for the rest of us."
In reaction, Central officials issued a statement that read, "For more than 35 years, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District has had an open-campus policy. Our students handle this responsibility with maturity. The very serious matter that occurred is about the misconduct of certain individuals and should not reflect upon the entire student body."
Central officials also said, "The school district is working closely with the police in the investigation of this situation. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the investigation is under way."
Detective Lt. Kevin Smith, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department's Public Information Office, said that on Wednesday, May 11, at about 10:30 a.m., the alleged victim and a girlfriend left Mepham and walked by the west side of the school's senior parking lot.
There, the girls met Alvarez and another male student and got into the male student's car. Police noted that the meeting was not prearranged. The group drove off, allegedly bought alcohol and stopped at the home of the male student, who lives in Bellmore.
There, the four drank beer, and at some point, Alvarez and the alleged victim were separated from the other two students. Alvarez began making sexual advances toward the alleged victim. Smith said that the girl declined Alvarez's advances, but he allegedly didn't stop.
Smith said that after the incident, the group got into the car and returned to the school at around noon or 12:30 p.m. A school aide noticed that the alleged victim was crying in the hall, and brought her to the assistant principal's office, where she was interviewed.
School officials called police immediately. A Nassau County Police ambulance took the alleged victim to the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow for treatment and an examination.
"The suspect was arrested that night, after police had completed their investigation," Smith said. Alvarez was charged with third-degree rape, a Class E felony. He faces a maximum four-year prison sentence if convicted.
At press time, Alvarez was still in custody, but Katie Grilli Robles, a spokeswoman for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, said that he could be released with an $80,000 bond or $40,000 cash.
Clearly, the incident sent yet another shiver through Mepham, with several media outlets once again parked just off school grounds last week. Maryann, a parent who picked up her daughter from the school last Friday, said, "I think that they should leave the kids alone. It's a terrible thing that happened to the girl, but poor judgment was used in this case. None of these kids should have been drinking. I would like to know who sold them the beer."
Maryann added, "What upsets me is that the school is being marked by this, and it's unfair for the other students. This happens all over, but because it happened in Mepham, it gets in the newspapers and television."
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
