Rookie sixth-round pick Matt Araiza may have won the Buffalo Bills’ punting competition between him and Matt Haack, but his standing with the team could soon be changing.
In a bombshell report from Colleen Shalby and Robert J. Lopez of the Los Angeles Times, we learn of a new civil lawsuit filed on Thursday accusing Araiza, and two current San Diego State University football players of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in 2021 at a party located off-site of the campus.
According to the report, Araiza is accused of “having sex with the minor outside a home, and then bringing her inside to a different room where she was repeatedly raped”. The lawsuit from San Diego County Superior Court states the then-high school senior drifted in and out of consciousness yet remembers moments when the various individuals took turns assaulting her.
She believes Araiza gave her a drink that contained alcohol and other intoxicating substances, which may have led to her condition. The victim reported the incident to the city’s police department the very next day, where she underwent a thorough rape exam.
Aside from Araiza, the others named are redshirt freshman Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko. Ewaliko is not currently listed on the team’s football roster.
While most may not know the others, Araiza has made a name for himself, having been declared the “Punt God” by some for his propensity to boot the ball extremely long distances, which carried him all the way to the NFL.
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Matt Araiza’s lawyer denies charges
Meanwhile, Araiza’s lawyer Kerry Armstrong is doing his best to distance his client from the allegations, swearing the punter did not do what he’s accused of. He even goes as far as to suggest Araiza’s being targeted because of his recent fame.
“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.”
Matt Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong
Attorney, Marc Xavier Carlos, representing Ewaliko in what’s being called an ongoing criminal investigation of the incident in question, could not comment on the matter when pressed by the LA Times. Leonard’s attorney has yet to see the lawsuit for himself, so he also had no comment.
This is an even worse look for San Diego State as they were already under hot water after a Times investigation revealed they failed to notify the campus community about the incident. The school waited a full seven months before beginning its own investigation. They said they “were not required” by federal law to put out any kind of criminal notification.
No arrests have been made in this pending lawsuit. Detectives have submitted the results of their investigation to the San Diego County’s district attorney’s office to determine any potential charges.
With the NFL recently experiencing their own massive scandal with Deshaun Watson being suspended for 11 games after being in violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, a report such as this is the last thing they want.
Even more questionable is whether the Bills and other teams had any prior knowledge of the incident.
In an Oct. 26 report, Araiza’s name was being linked to the assault, so the rumors have been percolating for several months, prior to his NFL draft selection in April.
“99% of the football players are aware of the 5-person rape so the rest of the student-athletes are left wondering why nothing is being done,” the student said.
“I hope this isn’t true for Matt’s sake,” a student said in an Oct. 26 report that was reviewed by The Times along with other internal records in the case. “But if it’s true I hope he gets the repercussions he deserves and [the] girl gets justice.”
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Araiza confirmed to victim they had sex, then backtracked his statement
In an attempt to piece the night together, the victim later contacted Araiza, who reportedly admitted he had sex with her, and even recommended she be tested for a sexually transmitted disease. But when she asked him specifically, “And did we have actual sex?” He quickly backtracked, with a reply, “This is Matt Araiza. I don’t remember anything that happened that night.”
We’ll be following along with this case closely as the details develop.