Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SOUTH SALT LAKE — Tony Yapias declined Tuesday to address directly the rape allegation against him, but he asserted that he has faith in the legal system.
"My story will come out," said Yapias, a longtime activist for Latino community in Utah. "That's why we have the judicial process for that. My side of the story will come out. You haven't heard from my side."
Yapias, 50, was charged Monday with rape, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a class A misdemeanor. Because of his close ties with Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings will prosecute the case in 3rd District Court.
Yapias called the allegations a "serious matter."
"It would be premature for me to say something about this or go into any details about this matter because of all the issues involved in this matter. I've been advised to just keep it at that," he said, adding that he had "total confidence" in the legal system. "I think it is the best process in the world."
According to charging documents, Yapias went to the home of a woman whom he had dated for four years in March, but she had broken off the relationship 10 days earlier. The woman had "expressed strongly" in text messages that she did not want Yapias to come over, charges state.
After he arrived, Yapias "had sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent," charges state. Yapias told police he believed the woman "consented at some point by removing her clothes," according to charging documents.
Yapias then grabbed the woman's phone and deleted text messages between the two, charges state. Those messages were later retrieved by a forensic investigator.
In April, working with a police officer, the woman texted Yapias seeking an apology. Yapias said he was sorry for erasing her texts but believed she had consented to have sex, though he acknowledged that she had told him "no" multiple times, charges state.
Charging documents say texts between Yapias and the woman that day stated in part: "Ok, I'll remind you, how many times I told you NO," the woman texted. "I don't want sex and you don't care for me, you don't think I'm hurting?"
Yapias responded: "But at the end you accepted didn't you?"
The woman also texted: "First … I need you to recognized that what you did was not right."
"That's fine. I accept I am very sorry," Yapias replied, according to charging documents.
On Tuesday, Yapias said that friends and family members helped raise his $250,000 bail to get him out of jail. He said he is still receiving a lot of support and will continue to fight for issues important to Latinos, particularly with the upcoming presidential election.
Yapias used words like "stunned" and "shocked" when talking about the charges.
"It's a big hit," he said. "I'm a human being, and like anybody else, there's a shock and it hurts you. But I have great support."
Yapias is the director of Proyecto Latino de Utah, an advocacy organization for Latinos in the state. He is formally identified in court documents as Adolfo Tony Yapias-Delgado.
Yapias asked his supporters and others in the Latino community Tuesday to have faith and patience with him as the legal process plays out. But he wanted to hold a news conference, he said, to let them know "I'm here."
Yapias' initial court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27.
