Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Alaiza and two others were charged with gang-raping minors at an off-campus party at San Diego State University last year, Thursday in San Diego County High Court proceedings.
The lawsuit alleges that Araiza had sex with a 17-year-old girl outside the off-campus residence where Araiza lived and then took her to a room where she was repeatedly raped. The plaintiff was identified in the lawsuit as “Jane Doe” because she was underage at the time, but is now 18, according to the Associated Press.
The other two football players in the complaint are Zavier Leonard, who is currently on the San Diego State roster, and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko, who is not on this year’s roster. Araiza became a star punter on the Aztecs in 2021 as a redshirt teenager and won the Ray Guy Award as the best punter in the country before declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.
The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff, who had been drinking with friends when they decided to party on October 17, was “visibly intoxicated upon arrival.” She was separated from her friends and Araiza approached her and offered her a drink, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff argued that the drink “contained not only alcohol but other intoxicating substances”. the indictment said.
No arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified by the San Diego police. to the Associated Press. Attempts by NFL media to contact San Diego police and the district attorney’s office were unsuccessful.
A lawyer representing Araiza told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the lawsuit, on Thursday that he had not reviewed the complaints against Araiza, but said the allegations were false.
“We were recently informed of a civil complaint from October 2021 involving Matt,” Bill said in a statement Thursday, obtained by NFL Network’s Mike Giardi. “Due to the seriousness of the complaint, we have thoroughly reviewed this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we have no further comment at this time.”
According to The Times reported that the university opened a Title IX investigation into the incident last month.
The Bills selected Araiza in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the only punter on Buffalo’s roster after the team released veteran Matt Harker earlier this week.
The Bills play the Carolina Panthers in their final preseason game on Friday. Araiza travels with the team, Giardi confirmed.
