Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza accused of gang-raping a 17-year old while at San Diego State
A civil lawsuit filed on Thursday in California accuses 22-year old Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza of gang rape, while he was at San Diego State.
The incident reportedly occurred at an off-campus party with the victim being a minor who claims she went into and out of consciousness during the events.
Araiza was named in the lawsuit alongside two other San Diego State football players.
Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, denied his client’s involvement in the incident saying: ‘It’s a shakedown because he’s now with the Buffalo Bills. There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza ever raped that girl.’
The other two individuals named in the suit are Zavier Leonard and Nowlin ‘Pa’a’ Ewaliko.
According to the Los Angeles Times, an investigation conducted by the paper found SDSU decided not to inform the campus community about the alleged incident – choosing also to wait over seven months to launch its own investigation.
Matt Araiza is being accused of gang rape by a 17-year old while he was at San Diego State
The suit claims Araiza gave the woman a drink at the party, which she claims ‘not only contained alcohol, but other intoxicating substances,’ per the report.
She claims she told Araiza she was a high school student and that he knew she was visibly intoxicated, but he demanded she perform oral sex.
The lawsuit then alleges Araiza took her to a bedroom where Leonard, Ewaliko and at least one other man were, the complaint alleged, and threw her down on the bed face first. The lawsuit said she was raped for an hour and a half until the party was shut down.
During it, she reportedly says she noticed a light resembling a cell phone video. The woman, she says, had her nose, belly button and ear piercings ripped out.
The rookie punter’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, denied his client’s involvement in the incident
Armstrong, Araiza’s attorney, said he does not believe the teen was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Athletic’s Tim Graham has reported that the Bills were made aware of the accusations against Araiza last month.
He added that the franchise did not know of the allegations when they drafted him, but did know when they cut former stating punter Matt Haack on Monday.
Araiza recently earned the starting punting job with the Buffalo Bills in training camp after being selected with the first pick of the sixth round of this year’s NFL draft.
He earned the nickname ‘Punt God’ after setting several NCAA punting records and winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter.
San Diego police have not publicly named any suspects and no arrests have been made.
The National Football League, NFL Players Association, and the Bills have not made comments on the accusations.
