Jury deliberates fate of former Yuma cop accused of rape
After hearing nearly twoweeks of testimony, the jury began its deliberations Friday morning in the trial of Jared Elkins, the former Yuma police officer who was charged in an alleged sexual assault of a woman in her San Diego home last year.
Elkins, who was offduty at the time, has been charged with eight felony counts, including forcible rape, oral copulation by force and rape of an intoxicated person. If convicted, he faces up to 14 years in prison.
Closing arguments were given Thursday, and then the case was turned over to the jury, which didn’t begin its deliberations until the following morning.
Jurors, however, were unable to reach a verdict on Friday and were sent home for the day just after 4:30 p.m. They will return to the downtown San Diego County Courthouse on Monday to resume deliberating.
According to San Diego police, officers responded to the 4700 block of Marlborough Drive shortly before 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 15, 2017 after receiving a phone call from the 23-year-old victim’s mother, claiming that a Yuma police officer had raped her daughter.
Elkins was taken into custody and later booked into San Diego County jail on multiple charges stemming from the incident. He posted bail that same day.
In her closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Lisa Fox said that after dinner and a night of drinking with other family members, Elkins and the alleged victim were sitting on a couch watching a movie when she decided to go to bed at about 1:30 a.m.
Fox went on to say that the victim testified that Elkins then came into her room, naked from the waist down, and threatened her if she did not have sex with him.
After Elkins left, the victim reportedly waited until she thought he was asleep with his wife. The victim then woke her mother, told her what had happened, and the two escaped out a window. The mother called the police about 4:20 a.m., according to Fox.
Elkins, however, had testified on his own behalf during the trial, saying they had consensual sex and that he never threatened or forced her. He and his wife have since divorced.
Elkins’ attorney, Ellis “Trip” Johnston had argued that the victim was taking prescription drugs for anxiety and depression and the alcohol she drank may have caused her to have feelings of regret for sleeping with the husband of a relative, which led her to falsely accuse his client.
A seven-year member of the Yuma police force at the time, Elkins tendered his resignation on Jan. 2, 2018.