Two men have been jailed for more than a decade after a woman was raped in Manchester city centre back in 2021.
Juan Quinones, 22, from Middleton in Rochdale, and Brian Jalo, 23, from Salford both appeared at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (21 December), and were eventually both jailed for 12 years following an “extensive” police investigation.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explains that the attack occurred after the victim – who was just 18 at the time – and her friend met Quinones and Jalo the previous day, when the pair had approached the women, spoke to them for some time, and exchanged contact details on Instagram.
The following evening, on the night of the attack, the victim and her friend were staying in a hotel near Piccadilly Gardens, and after the two women returned to the hotel, the victim then left the hotel again on her own, and was subsequently spotted by Quinones and Jalo, who then proceeded to attack her and rape her in an alleyway.
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Juan Quinones and Brian Jalo have been jailed for 12 years / Credit: GMP
The victim managed to make her way back to the hotel following the attack in a distressed state, although she lost her mobile phone during the incident, and this has never been recovered.
She then contacted police, and an investigation was immediately launched, GMP confirmed.
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Following an appeal to the public for information, CCTV was provided to investigating officers which led to the identification and arrest of Jalo and Quinones on 19 May 2021, while a third man was later acquitted of sexual assault and aiding and abetting the rape.
“This was a vile and predatory attack on a lone woman by a pair who worked together to lure her away from safety in order to rape her,” commented Detective Constable Stuart Kassim, of GMP Longsight CID, after the men were jailed this week.
The main have been jailed following an “extensive” police investigation / Credit: GMP
“Their actions were cold and calculating, and I am pleased the sentence has placed them safely behind bars.
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“Ultimately, it is thanks to the bravery of the victim, as well as members of the public who answered our CCTV appeal and the dedication of the investigation team, that both offenders will now spend years of their life behind bars.
“I hope this case gives other victim’s reassurance that GMP will seek to arrest and prosecute offenders, and I hope it encourages more victims to come forwards and report what happened to them to police.”
No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
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Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd December 2023 
