Cubs' Castro To Be Questioned About Alleged Rape
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, accused of sexually assaulting a woman more than three months ago, was back in town on Thursday and sources said he's either already been interviewed by detectives or will be soon.
WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports Castro flew in from the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, returning to Chicago for the first time since late September.
The woman, who is in her 20s, has claimed that she was drinking with friends at a River North nightclub on the night of Sept. 29 when she met Castro.
Sources say she and a friend left the bar at 3 a.m. the following morning and went to the 21-year-old Castro's apartment on State Street nearby. The woman claimed she passed out at Castro's apartment and woke up screaming, finding him on top of her.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports
Podcast
Detectives have been waiting to interview Castro ever since the woman came forward hours after the alleged attack. By the time the woman told her story to detectives, Castro was already on a plane headed home for the offseason.
For nearly 3 ½ months, the case has been idle as detectives waited for Castro to return to Chicago.
Castro was expected to return for the Cubs Convention, which starts Friday.
His lawyers have insisted he did nothing wrong.
Castro's attorneys, Jay K. Reisinger and Michael P. Gillespie, issued the following statement on behalf of their client:
"We are aware of certain allegations that have been made against our client, Starlin Castro. We have thoroughly investigated this matter, and we are confident that these allegations are baseless. Given the sensitive nature of this matter, we cannot comment any further."
A heavily redacted police report on the alleged assault offers little information.
It says that when the woman woke up she screamed and yelled at her alleged attacker, and left the apartment at about 5:30 a.m. getting a ride home from her friend.
It would be 12 hours before the alleged victim would go to a hospital, and police would become involved.
By then, it is believed that Castro was on a plane, heading home to the Dominican Republic for the offseason.
Last week, when the allegations became public, the Cubs released the following statement:
"We are aware that a police report was filed regarding an incident involving Starlin, but we have received limited information. While this is something we take very seriously, there is not enough information to make any further comment or take action at this time. We are hopeful when the facts are brought to light, Starlin will be cleared of any wrongdoing."
