Matt Araiza, the previous Buffalo Payments punter who was accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old at an off-campus occasion at San Diego State College final 12 months, is not going to be charged in reference to the alleged crime, prosecutors mentioned Wednesday.
The San Diego County District Lawyer's Workplace mentioned two of Araiza's former Aztec teammates, who had been additionally accused within the reported assault in October 2021, is not going to face fees both.
"I'm grateful that the district legal professional and the San Diego Police Division have found all of the info and located no felony wrongdoing. I'm excited to proceed my NFL profession," Araiza mentioned in a assertion 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.
"Finally, prosecutors decided it's clear the proof doesn't help the submitting of felony fees and there's no path to a possible felony conviction. Prosecutors can solely file fees once they ethically consider they are often confirmed past an affordable doubt," the assertion mentioned.
Araiza's lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, mentioned he and his shopper had been "elated" by what he known as the precise resolution.
"It's my hope that Matt can be a part of an NFL staff once more and do the factor that he does greatest—punt footballs eighty yards down the sector," Armstrong mentioned.
The accuser's legal professional Dan Gilleon tweeted, "I'm by no means stunned when a prosecutor doesn't file sexual assault fees when the sufferer was intoxicated."
"It is a very uncommon case the place the felony justice system achieves something passable for the sufferer of a sexual assault," Gilleon continued. "Prosecutors can not file fees until they'll get a unanimous resolution (from jurors) who can not vote to convict until they're satisfied past any cheap doubt."
Nevertheless, Gilleon mentioned he anticipated a greater verdict in his shopper's civil lawsuit, the place "the main target is on the hurt defendants prompted her."
"The defendants can 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 staff known as its "thorough examination" of the allegations included within the lawsuit.
The accuser, now 18, alleged within the swimsuit that Araiza, then 21, had intercourse along with her in a aspect yard at an off-campus residence earlier than bringing her right into a bed room the place a gaggle of males took turns raping her. She mentioned she went out and in of consciousness as the lads assaulted her for about 90 minutes. The lady additionally mentioned that her telephone was taken, her piercings had been torn out and she or he was left bleeding after the alleged assault.
She advised her associates that evening that she'd been raped and reported the assault to police the next day, based on the court docket submitting.
"I used to be crying, and my buddy requested me what occurred," the girl advised CBS Information in August. "And I advised her, 'I had simply been raped.'"
She wrote in her journal the subsequent day: "All I maintain replaying in my thoughts is being face down in a random mattress simply ready for it to be over."
The lawsuit named Araiza together with two former Aztec teammates who're not with the staff.
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 may hurt the felony 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 12 months. In April, he was chosen by the Buffalo Payments within the sixth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft.