Former Payments punter Matt Araiza is not going to face prices from allegations that he participated in a gang-rape.
In August, Araiza was accused in a civil swimsuit, together with two of his former teammates at San Diego State College, of raping a 17-year-old woman, who additionally claimed that she went out and in of consciousness in the course of the incident.
Wednesday, San Diego’s district lawyer Summer season Stephan introduced that there will probably be no prices for Araiza — or his former teammates, Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko — ensuing from the accusations.
“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,” the district lawyer mentioned. “Prosecutors can solely file prices after they ethically consider they are often confirmed past an inexpensive doubt.”
After the allegations in opposition to Araiza turned public, he was launched by the Payments. The 22-year-old mentioned he’s desirous to get again to soccer.
“I'm grateful that the District Lawyer and the San Diego Police Division have found all of the information and located no prison wrongdoing,” Araiza mentioned in a press release. “I'm excited to proceed my NFL profession.”
Araiza was given the nickname “Punt God” for his distinctive punting skills at San Diego State and was chosen by the Payments within the sixth spherical of this 12 months’s NFL Draft. It's uncommon for punters to be drafted, although this 12 months was an outlier during which two others — Jordan Stout and Jake Camarda, whom had been picked within the fourth spherical by the Ravens and Bucs, respectively — had been additionally chosen.
Araiza was accused of giving the woman a drink at a celebration that she claimed “not solely contained alcohol, however different intoxicating substances.” She additionally claimed that he knew she was a highschool pupil and was intoxicated, however nonetheless pressured her into oral intercourse earlier than the three soccer gamers took her to a bed room and raped her for over an hour.
Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, known as the allegations a “shakedown.”
In a press release on the time, Araiza mentioned, “The information of the incident will not be what they're portrayed within the lawsuit or within the press. I sit up for shortly setting the document straight.”
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