Jurors Return Verdict in Sexual Assault Trial


Tuesday, October 02 2012
A jury has found former fish processing workers Ismael Balallo and Diego Mayuyo guilty of sexual assault. The two men stood accused of forcing themselves on a woman in her Unisea bunkhouse in March.
Balallo was found guilty of sexual assault in the first degree for penetrating the woman without her consent. He was also found guilty of sexual assault in the second degree for engaging in sexual contact without her consent.
The jury found co-defendant Diego Mayuyo guilty of one count of sexual assault in the second degree, but acquitted him on a second count.
The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for several days roughly seven hours over the course of several days before delivering the verdict Monday afternoon. The two men are scheduled for sentencing on January 9, 2013 in Anchorage. Balallo faces up to 40 years in prison, Mayuyo faces up to 10.