Former Orioles Pitcher Accused Of Raping Woman In D.C. Hotel
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- From the ballpark to the courtroom. A former Baltimore Oriole is facing a multi-million dollar lawsuit. A woman claims Alfredo Simon raped her in a posh Washington, D.C. hotel.
Mike Hellgren spoke to the accuser's lawyer and has all sides of this disturbing case.
His accuser says former Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon, now with the Cincinnati Reds, had a friend approach her at a club a year ago. Simon then brought her back to his posh hotel room near the White House and allegedly raped her.
Her civil lawsuit WJZ obtained claims he: "...abruptly changed his behavior from a romantic encounter to a terrifying physical attack. As soon as [he] started to get rough with her, [she] told him to stop. [He] ignored that plea, pinning [her] down on her stomach while she struggled and continued to demand [he] get off her."
"It was very brutal and graphic and produced very real injuries, which were documented," the accuser's lawyer, Steve Kelly, said.
Prosecutors in D.C. convened a grand jury, but declined to press criminal charges with no explanation.
"Based on what happened to her, I think she would definitely say that he's a danger to others," Kelly said.
Simon was a pitcher with the Orioles, ending in 2011. He had a brush with the law during his tenure here.
In 2011, police in Simon's native Dominican Republic filed an involuntary manslaughter charge against him after he fired celebratory gunshots in the air that killed a man. Simon was later acquitted and spoke to WJZ about that incident.
"I just try to play baseball. I don't think about whatever happened. Just put it behind me," Simon said.
In the rape lawsuit, the accuser is seeking $15 million in damages, but says it's not about the money.
"This is not a situation where we have a gold digger or publicity seeker. This is an educated, very credible young woman," said Kelly.
Simon's lawyer calls the allegations baseless. He says he will fight them aggressively and believes his client will be fully exonerated.
The accuser's lawyer says she did have a rape kit done at the police department that showed abrasions. Simon denies wrongdoing.
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