Victim's Friend: Assault Destroyed Lives

3 charged in abduction, sexual assault of SMU student

One of the three men arrested in the connection with the sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman has confessed to the attack, according to an arrest affidavit.

Luis Zuniga, Arturo Arevalo and Alfonso Zuniga have been charged with aggravated sexual assault. Bond for two of the men has been set at $1 million. The third man is awaiting a hearing.

The victim, a Southern Methodist University student, was abducted while leaving a party early Saturday morning.

"Basically, she was about to open the door, and they just grabbed her," said a 21-year-old man who was picking up the victim when she was abducted.

The man, who did not want to be identified, said he feels guilty that one of his best friends was abducted as she was getting into his car. He said a black sport utility vehicle pulled up next to his car and grabbed her.

"There is really nothing other than terror and horror running through your mind," he said. "You are scared, shaking."

He said he learned she was safe two hours later.

"She just said her eyes were duct-taped and she couldn't see much," he said.

Police said Luis Zuniga, Arturo Arevalo and Alfonso Zuniga took turns assaulting the victim and then shoved her, partially-clothed, out of the vehicle in south Dallas.

Investigators said they believe the men stole the victim's shoes, underwear and cell phone as trophies.

"We actually caught one of the suspects with the sexual-assault complainant's cell phone," Lt. Eno Fite said.

Police said the phone was in Luis Zuniga's pants pocket when they arrested him.

According to jail records, Luis Zuniga, Arturo Arevalo and Alfonso Zuniga are in the country illegally. Investigators said they believe the three men are related to each other.

"Hopefully they won't be deported and they will be here to serve their time here instead of being dropped off somewhere else," the victim's friend said. "They destroyed all of our lives. We are never going to be the same."

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