Jurors Deliberate in Sexual Assault Case

Friday, September 28 2012

Jurors began weighing the evidence today in the trial of two men accused of sexual assault.

Ismael Balallo and Diego Mayuyo are each charged with multiple counts of sexual assault for allegedly attacking a woman in her Unisea bunkhouse in March.

The trial lasted two days, with jurors hearing testimony from the alleged victim, healthcare providers, and the arresting officer, among others. The defendants elected not to testify.

During closing statements, the state prosecutor, Jenna Gruenstein, recited the details of the alleged victim’s testimony, summing it up by saying - quote - “she lived through not one, but two sexual assaults, and she remembers.”

The defense attorneys’ questioned the alleged victim’s credibility, saying she was intoxicated and her account of the night changed repeatedly. Mayuyo’s attorney, Kevin Boots, also criticized police handling of the case, saying - quote - “the Unalaska Police Department didn’t do its job.” Boots accused the department of losing security footage that would have helped his client’s case.

If found guilty, Mayuyo faces up to 20 years in prison and Balallo faces up to 40 years.

As of Friday afternoon, the jury was still deliberating.



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