SAN DIEGO — Former Buffalo Payments punter Matt Araiza won’t be charged in reference to an alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old woman at an off-campus social gathering final yr when he performed soccer for San Diego State College, prosecutors mentioned Wednesday.
The San Diego County District Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned no prices can be filed towards any of Araiza’s former Aztec teammates who have been additionally accused within the reported assault in October 2021.
“I’m grateful that the district lawyer and the San Diego Police Division have found all of the details and located no prison wrongdoing. I’m excited to proceed my NFL profession,” Araiza mentioned in a statement issued by his agent, Joe Linta.
The choice adopted an investigation involving greater than 35 witness interviews and proof derived from 10 search warrants that included cellphone knowledge and video from the evening in query, the DA’s workplace mentioned in an announcement.
“In the end, prosecutors decided it’s clear the proof doesn’t help the submitting of prison prices and there’s no path to a possible prison conviction. Prosecutors can solely file prices after they ethically consider they are often confirmed past an affordable doubt,” the assertion mentioned.
Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, mentioned he and his consumer have been “elated” by what he referred to as the proper resolution.
“It’s my hope that Matt can be a part of an NFL group once more and do the factor that he does greatest — punt footballs eighty yards down the sphere,” Armstrong mentioned.
The accuser’s lawyer Dan Gilleon tweeted, “I’m by no means stunned when a prosecutor doesn’t file sexual assault prices when the sufferer was intoxicated.”
“It’s a really uncommon case the place the prison justice system achieves something passable for the sufferer of a sexual assault,” Gilleon continued. “Prosecutors can not file prices except they will get a unanimous resolution (from jurors) who can not vote to convict except they’re satisfied past any cheap doubt.”
Nevertheless, Gilleon mentioned he anticipated a greater verdict in his consumer’s civil lawsuit, the place “the main target is on the hurt defendants brought about her.”
“The defendants may have no sympathizers as soon as the proof comes out,” he wrote.
The Buffalo Payments declined to remark.
The Payments launched the rookie punter in August simply days after backing Araiza primarily based on the findings of what the group referred to as its “thorough examination” of the allegations included within the lawsuit.
The accuser, now 18, alleged within the go well with that Araiza, then 21, had intercourse along with her in a facet yard at an off-campus residence earlier than bringing her right into a bed room the place a bunch of males took turns raping her. She mentioned she went out and in of consciousness as the lads assaulted her for about 90 minutes.
She instructed her associates that evening that she’d been raped and reported the assault to police the next day, in accordance with the court docket submitting.
The lawsuit named Araiza together with two former Aztec teammates who’re now not with the group.
The college has been closely criticized for delaying an administrative inquiry into the allegations. San Diego State officers have mentioned they deferred investigating on the request of police for concern that conducting their very own would possibly hurt the prison investigation.
Araiza was nicknamed the “Punt God” and honored as a consensus All-American for his booming kicks that helped SDSU to a school-best 12-2 season in his senior yr. In April, he was chosen by the Buffalo Payments within the sixth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft.
