New York State In-depth

Ex-Buffalo Bills player Matt Araiza will not be charged in the sexual assault case

Former Buffalo Bills player Matt Araiza will not be charged in an alleged sexual assault that took place last year.

In their review of the case, the San Diego County Attorney’s Office also said Wednesday that none of Araiza’s former San Diego State football teammates would be charged.

“Ultimately, prosecutors determined that the evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges and there is no pathway to a possible criminal conviction,” said in a statement. “Given the understandable public interest in this case, the Office of the Attorney General has a responsibility to inform the public of the process followed during the review and the conclusion reached under the law, while preserving the dignity of all individuals involved.”

OPINION: Given the rape allegations against Matt Araiza and others, why hasn’t SDSU done more?

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A civil lawsuit filed in August in San Diego County Superior Court alleged that then-21-year-old Araiza had sex with a drunk 17-year-old high school grad outside of an off-campus party in October 2021 before taking her in brought to a room where she was allegedly assaulted by several men for almost 90 minutes.

“I’m never surprised when a prosecutor doesn’t press charges of sexual assault when the victim was intoxicated,” the woman’s attorney, Dan Gilleon, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a very rare instance in which the criminal justice system achieves something satisfying for the victim in a sexual assault case.

“In the criminal system, the victim is just another witness. She is not represented by anyone. Prosecutors cannot bring charges unless they believe they can get a unanimous decision from all juries, who cannot vote for a conviction unless they are beyond a reasonable doubt. The lawsuit that we have filed is not in the criminal justice system.”

The story goes on

Gilleon indicated that the woman will proceed with the civil suit.

“It’s a different ball game here,” he said. “The victim is represented, and the focus is on the harm the defendants have caused her. It is only in the civil system that a victim of sexual assault can obtain justice, and that is what we plan to do.”

Ariaza’s father Rico said the family had no comment on Wednesday.

“Right now, we’re not ready to talk to anyone,” Rico Araiza told USA TODAY Sports. “We’re just kind of keeping a low profile.”

An attorney representing Araiza did not immediately respond with a request for comment from USA TODAY Sports.

Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft in late April after playing at San Diego State. He was a first-team All-American and won the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter.

The Bills released Araiza two days after filing the civil suit.

According to the lawsuit, the teenager told her friends she had been raped after she fled the bedroom “bloody and crying.” The next day, she alerted the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and underwent a rape investigation at a children’s hospital.

According to the lawsuit, the woman had her nose, belly button and ear piercings pulled out and was bleeding from her vagina after the alleged assault.

The lawsuit alleged that Araiza confirmed having had sex with the teen during a recorded “pretense” call set up by authorities and that Araiza instructed her to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

In a statement released Wednesday, the San Diego Attorney’s Office said it received the SDPD’s investigation (SDPD) on August 5 with no recommendation to file criminal charges.

Over the next 124 days, prosecutors said, sexual assault experts, including prosecutors and district attorney investigators, “meticulously analyzed all of the evidence in the case, including over 35 recorded witness interviews, the findings of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) -Investigation, DNA results and evidence from 10 search warrants.”

The district attorney’s team also worked with the SDPD to further investigate the matter and interviewed additional witnesses before making the decision not to press charges, according to the district attorney’s office.

“It is important to note that the criminal justice system and the civil court process are very different, with different burdens of proof,” the statement said in the media when not supported by admissible evidence.

“The knowledgeable and experienced team of Assistant District Attorneys and DA investigators reviewing this case were thorough, thoughtful and careful to consider the constitutional and legal rights of all involved before concluding that the Attorney’s Office in ethically cannot bring criminal charges in this matter.”

San Diego State drew criticism for holding back its own investigation, at the request of the SDPD, until police completed their initial investigation, which lasted about nine months.

The school did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday.

The civil lawsuit, filed by the woman who said she was raped, listed Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko, two former San Diego State soccer players, along with Araiza as defendants.

During the investigation into the alleged sexual assault, the SDPD launched a separate investigation into the alleged possession of unlawful pornography by 19-year-old Ewaliko, according to prosecutors.

“This investigation is ongoing and is not related to the alleged sexual assault,” the prosecutor’s statement said.

Attempts to reach Ewaliko through family members have been unsuccessful.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-NFL player Matt Araiza not charged in sexual assault case

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