UPDATED: Gainesville man charged with raping woman after taking her home from a bar

Staff report

Updated on July 30 in response to a request from an attorney for Capones Gainesville LLC to state that Aleman is not the owner of Capone’s

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Walter Mauricio Aleman, 45, was arrested yesterday and charged with three counts of sexual battery after allegedly taking an intoxicated woman home from a bar and having intercourse with her.

The victim told a Gainesville Police Department officer that she had some drinks at a friend’s house on July 1 and then went to a bar with friends, where she met Aleman, who was a customer of her workplace.

Aleman reportedly told the officer he is the owner of Capones GNV, but an attorney from Capone’s said, “This assertion is unequivocally false. Walter Aleman was never an owner, partner, or principal of Capones Gainesville, LLC. He was, at most, an employee, and held no ownership authority at any time. He was immediately suspended following the allegations.” The attorney also asked us to specify that the bar where the victim drank with Aleman was not Capone’s.

The officer reported that surveillance video from the bar shows the victim arriving at 10:45 p.m. on July 1 and having some drinks. At about midnight, the video shows Aleman reaching a hand out to get the victim’s attention as she walks past, and she stops, sits with him, and has some drinks with him. At about 1:19 a.m., the video shows Aleman grabbing the victim’s hand and guiding her out of the front door.

A doorbell camera at Aleman’s apartment reportedly shows him arriving with the victim at 1:30 a.m., and the victim reportedly called 911 at 2:10 a.m.

The officer reported that the victim called 911 from a closet in Aleman’s apartment, saying she was scared and didn’t know where she was; she said she was with “Walter,” the owner of Capone’s, and at 2:22 a.m., officers found Aleman’s apartment and knocked until Aleman responded verbally through the door.

After some back and forth, Aleman reportedly acknowledged that a woman was inside his apartment and agreed to bring her out; the victim reportedly came out, partially dressed and crying.

Aleman reportedly insisted that he and the victim had had a “great time” and that the victim was “obviously flirting” with him at the bar; the officer noted that video evidence contradicts this statement.

Aleman reportedly said the victim agreed to go to his apartment to meet his dogs, and they hung out and “hooked up”; he said he woke up to the sound of his dogs barking and police knocking on his door.

The officer reported that in the audio of the 911 call, the victim can be heard asking Aleman for some privacy about five minutes before the police arrived, contradicting Aleman’s story that he had been awakened by the police.

Aleman reportedly made spontaneous statements to officers during a voluntary interview, admitting having sexual intercourse with the victim and saying that he suspected the victim was impaired.

The victim told officers that she only remembered her first drink at the bar, and her memory became “significantly impaired” after that; she said she woke up to Aleman sexually battering her.

A sexual assault exam reportedly found several injuries indicating that force was used during sexual intercourse.

A witness who used to work for Aleman reportedly said the victim was “clearly intoxicated” at the bar, and a second witness said the victim was “very incoherent.” Both witnesses said they saw the victim leave the bar holding hands with Aleman and “grew concerned.”

One of the witnesses later checked the victim’s location and saw she was at the hospital, so the witness called Aleman, who reportedly told her he had been “hooking up” with the victim, but he later called her back and said the victim had suddenly left without explanation, failing to mention that the police had come to his home because the victim called 911.

Aleman reportedly sent several texts to the victim after she left, expressing embarrassment that the police had come to his apartment, telling her they had a “great time” together, asking if she was mad, pleading with her to talk to him, and acknowledging that she may have been confused and disoriented when she woke up. Aleman has also allegedly gone to her workplace at least twice since the incident.

On July 16, detectives conducted a controlled text exchange with Aleman from the victim’s phone, and Aleman reportedly denied any wrongdoing and wrote, “We never had sex, we just hooked up.” When asked again if they’d had sex, he reportedly wrote, “AND NO WE DIDN’T.”

Post Miranda, Aleman reportedly provided an account of the evening “that was contradicted almost entirely by video surveillance footage.” He initially said that he is unable to have sexual intercourse due to erectile dysfunction but later admitted lying about this; he reportedly said he was trying to mislead the detective about what happened in his apartment that night to avoid criminal charges. He reportedly admitted engaging in sexual acts with the victim three times.

Aleman has been charged with three counts of sexual battery. He has no local criminal history, and Judge Kristine Van Vorst ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.