Big Sky conference Player of the Year Jeremiah Dominguez, right, is pictured in this file photo with center Scott Morrison. Both were linked to an assault in Mexico.
Story Published:
Apr 2, 2008 at 12:04 AM PDT
Story Updated:
Apr 2, 2008 at 3:49 PM PDT
PORTLAND, Ore. - Two Portland State University basketball players who were briefly held in a Mexican jail will not face criminal charges in connection with the brutal assault of a man at a Cabo San Lucas resort, according to the American consulate in Tijuana.
Guard Jeremiah Dominguez and center Scott Morrison were taken into custody in Mexico in connection with an incident late Friday that left 23-year-old Kyle Meagher, a student at Lansing Community College in Michigan, with a broken jaw.
The players denied beating up Meagher, telling police they weren't part of a fight.
According to a story on the The Oregonian's Web site, Meagher was an intern working at a VIP lounge at a Cabo San Lucas resort and denied the two players entry.
After the attack, Meagher told police from his hospital bed that he didn't have a chance to identify the aggressors. He said he only remembered being hit and losing consciousness.
Mexican investigator Omar Barajas said the pair was initially taken into custody for public drinking, but one of Meagher's acquaintances said Dominguez and Morrison may have been responsible for the fight.
However, the acquaintance has since disappeared and never made a formal accusation.
Lorena Blanco, spokeswoman for the consulate in Tijuana, said Dominguez was never accused of assaulting Meagher.
"Dominguez was not the one who beat him up, but he ran away from police, and that's what got him in trouble," Blanco said. "Police threw him on the ground and punched him because he resisted arrest."
Dominguez and Morrison helped the Vikings to a school-record 23-10 season and their first appearance in the NCAA tournament. Portland State earned a trip to the tournament with a 67-51 victory over Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference tournament. The Vikings also won the league's regular-season title.
The Vikings were a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost to top-seeded Kansas in a first-round game.
Dominguez, a 5-foot-6 point guard, was the Big Sky's player of the year, after he averaged 14.2 points and 4.1 assists per game. The 6-11 Morrison, the league's defensive player of the year, averaged 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds.
"We are surprised and disappointed in the actions and poor judgment our student athletes have shown in this situation," athletic director Torre Chisolm said. "Prior to this, they conducted themselves in a positive manner within our program. I am disheartened to see them put themselves in such a bad position."
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