Former SCSU Wrestler Sentenced for Felony Assault

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A former St. Cloud State University wrestler who badly beat another student has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and must pay restitution of nearly $25,000.

Twenty-one-year-old Ezayah Gomez Oropeza pleaded guilty to a count of 3rd-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm in July.

His 90-day sentence will be served in three 30-day segments. The first segment will be seven days in jail and the remaining 23 days on electronic home monitoring. The remaining two 30-day segments can be vacated if Gomez Oropeza meets the requirements of his probation.

Just after 1:30 a.m. on September 18th, 2021 officers were called to the 700 block of 8th Street South. The responding officers found a 20-year-old man in a nearby home that was bleeding heavily from multiple facial injuries and was showing signs of having been unconscious.

Through a witness account, nearby video, and statements from the victim, he (the victim) went outside to investigate a woman screaming and confronted a man and a woman who were in the street.

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The victim would tell police later that he yelled to the couple asking if everything was all right and was told to mind his own (expletive) business.

Court records show as the victim turned to return to his house, Oropeza charged him, picked him up, tackled him to the ground, and punched him 3-4 times in the face. The victim was knocked unconscious during the assault.

A witness said the woman began yelling at Oropeza that he had "messed up", asked why he would do that and that they needed to get the victim some help and get him an ambulance.

The video shows the woman appearing to continue arguing with Gomez Oropeza for several minutes as the victim lay motionless.

Ultimately, Oropeza allegedly carried the victim toward the door of the house. One of the victim's roommates told police he heard the back door swing open and a man yell "who lives here?". The roommate then saw the victim walk through the home covered in blood, disoriented, and shaken.

Police say they made contact with Oropeza and the woman near the scene shortly after the attack. According to the complaint, Oropeza admitted he knocked out the man in an act of self-defense. He said they had been walking when the victim came out of the house and yelled at them. Gomez Oropeza allegedly said they tried to walk away and the victim continued to come after them. Court records show Gomez Oropeza said he didn't have a gun so he hit him.

According to the victim's statement, he told police that he needed multiple reconstructive surgeries to repair facial fractures.