Orlando City Soccer Club has terminated the contract of a defense attorney arrested last week in Osceola County for sexual assault.
Major League Soccer also suspended Jonathan Suarez-Cortez, 24, after both he and his brother Rafael Suarez Jr. were detained in the Osceola County Jail for the crime.
Orlando City said in a statement on Sunday that the Suárez-Cortez contract had been terminated, “with defense attorney consenting to the termination in order to focus on the allegations made against him.”
It was on loan from Querétaro, Mexico, last month.
MLS released a statement stating: “Orlando City SC’s defense attorney Jonathan Suarez was arrested Tuesday night (February 23) on allegations of sexual battery. Suarez has been suspended on investigations by the MLS and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Major League Soccer will be in close contact with Orlando City SC, local law enforcement, and the MLS Players Association during this investigation. MLS will make further determinations on the player’s status as more information becomes available. “
According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, officials at an Orlando location reacted after receiving the sexual assault report since the alleged incident occurred in Osceola County on February 21.
MPs met with the adult victim, who said she was sexually abused by two men. Based on this information, a special investigator responded and took over the case.
According to the report, the victim and a friend met with the Suarez brothers at Top Golf in Orlando on February 21. They had all been drinking. Jonathan then invited the victim and her boyfriend back to his Jamison Loop apartment in Kissimmee.
Everyone kept drinking and playing beer pong.
The victim then went to a bedroom with Rafael Suarez. They started having consensual sex when Jonathan opened the door and said the victim’s friend fell asleep and wanted to “have fun,” the report said. She said “no” to both of them. But the brothers continued anyway.
“At some point the other brother decided that he wanted to get involved. The victim said no. No means no, ”said Lopez. “They kept going and that was brought, that’s when the rape started and after that the victim stepped forward and complained.”
Based on the victim’s information, investigators were able to clearly identify the brothers as the suspects involved in the incident and develop a likely reason for their arrest.
Both men were arrested on February 23 and sent to Osceola County Jail for sexual harassment. Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at 407-348-2222.
