Trouble in Shangri-La for Los Lonely Boys

[Livia]

Lonely Boy in sex assault investigation
Women say they were drugged on night out with drummer, wife
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By Joe Gross

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Ringo Garza, the drummer for Los Lonely Boys, and his wife are being investigated in a suspected sexual assault at the couple's San Angelo home, according to an affidavit filed with the San Angelo police.

The trio of brothers, including guitarist and singer Henry Garza and bassist Jojo Garza, has been nominated for multiple Grammys and is widely considered one of last year's breakout bands. It's also one of Austin's most popular acts.

On Jan. 5, two women told police they might have been drugged in the wee hours of that morning after meeting Garza, 23, and his wife, Lenora Garza, 24, at a nightclub. One of the women said she was sexually assaulted after losing consciousness, the affidavit says.

A warrant was obtained, and the Garzas' south San Angelo home was searched Thursday. Police took nearly 60 items, including clothing, towels, carpet samples and trash.

The couple were arrested on a charge of possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana. They were released later that day on $1,000 bail each.

The warrant stated that police were searching for intoxicants such as rohypnol (also known as the date-rape drug) and the animal tranquilizer Ketamine.

Charges have not been filed in the sexual assault case, according to Lt. Curtis Milbourn, a San Angelo police spokesman.

"Because this is an ongoing investigation, we're not giving updates daily on things," Milbourn said Tuesday. "We're treating Mr. Garza like we do everybody else. It is the goal of this department to conduct a thorough, fair and unbiased investigation."

According to the affidavit, two women met with Garza and his wife at a nightclub the evening of Jan. 4. The women returned to the Garzas' home and allege that, after about half an hour, they "began to feel extremely tired" and lost consciousness.

One woman regained coherence but could not move, according to the affidavit. She told police that she recalled a naked man lying on top of her.

The affidavit also mentions a message left on one of the women's cell phones Wednesday from someone identifying herself as Lenora Garza, calling to check on the women and thank them for coming to her house.

"Ringo and his wife would never do anything like what is being said about them," Los Lonely Boys manager Kevin Wommack, who is based in Austin, told the San Angelo Standard-Times. "Just because someone said something happened involving a very important person in this town doesn't mean it happened."

"Los Lonely Boys have become popular very fast, making them targets of some with less than honorable intentions," Dahr Jamail, the Garzas' Houston-based lawyer, said Tuesday. "As much as I'd love to give you the facts that I know, it's better to be patient and let the authorities do their job."

Los Lonely Boys' star has been on the rise the past two years. After building a devout live following and earning the endorsements of artists such as Willie Nelson, in 2003 the band released its self-titled debut, which immediately became a regional hit before breaking nationally in 2004.

The trio received four Grammy nominations this year, including in the prestigious Record of the Year and Best New Artist categories. (The Grammy Awards will be broadcast Feb. 13.)

The Boys' album has sold more than 1.7 million copies. The band is scheduled to head into into Pedernales Studios this month to record the follow-up.

"The band is standing 100 percent behind their brother,"



I've heard various "off the record" versions - that these girls went to a hospital because one of them wasn't feeling well - they said they'd smoked pot at Ringo's house and the cops raided the place the next day and found a small amount of marijuana. But now this? This is whack.... The girl didn't identify Ringo as the naked man, nor does this article mention who else was at the house. I honestly hope Ringo and his wife had nothing to do with this.

PS - Wild! 2 seconds after I posted this, one of their songs,"Real Emotion" came on the radio.