Pablo Sandoval Accused of Sexual Assault, in Case You Hadn't Heard

By Albert Samaha Mon., Jun. 4 2012 at 12:07 PM

Categories: Law & Order, Sports

Say it ain't so, Pablo

The early stages of these sexual assault investigations involving public figures are always difficult for us on the outside to navigate.

For at least the next few days, probably for the next few weeks, when you Google "Pablo Sandoval," the words "sexual assault" will pop up near the top of the screen. The words "alleged" and "accused" will also be somewhere there, but those are like two-pound ankle-weights on a gorilla.

So far, the events of Sandoval's Thursday night in Santa Cruz are still mostly a mystery to the public.

We put in calls to the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office and the Giants, but no word back yet. However, here is what we do know:

Sandoval, the 25-year-old San Francisco Giants' third baseman, has been playing for the Class-A San Jose Giants since May 4, rehabbing his broken left hand.

Isaac Cook, the manager of the Santa Cruz bar Motiv, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that Sandoval was at the bar with two men for at least two hours on Thursday night, before the group left at around 1:15 a.m. without any women alongside.

At 4:25 a.m., a woman called the Santa Cruz Sheriff's office accusing Sandoval of sexually assaulting her. She said that they had met in downtown Santa Cruz earlier that night.

The woman had been with some people in Santa Cruz. The group went to the Seascape Beach Resort, 15 minutes away in unincorporated Aptos, Deputy April Skilland told the Chronicle.

Sometime after the report, Sheriff's deputies met Sandoval at the resort and he was cooperative. He was not arrested, but he did go to the Sheriff's Office for questioning.

Sandoval's lawyer, Eric Geffon, says that the sex was consensual.

The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed. The Sheriff's Office will eventually send the case to the Santa Cruz District Attorney's office for review.

When Sandoval took the field on Sunday, he was "warmly received by the fans," San Jose Giants' Joe Ritzo told the Chron.

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