SAN DIEGO — Former NFL player Kellen Winslow Jr. has been convicted of raping a 58-year-old homeless woman last year north of San Diego.
A jury returned the verdict on Monday in San Diego Superior Court in Vista, Calif., but was continuing to deliberate on two more counts of rape involving a hitchhiker and an unconscious teenage girl.
The jury also found him guilty of indecent exposure and lewd conduct but found him not guilty of one count of a lewd act, which prosecutors had said happened in front of a 77-year-old woman in a hot tub in nearby Carlsbad, Calif.
Winslow, who played for Cleveland, Tampa Bay, New England and the New York Jets, faces up to life in prison if convicted of all counts.
All five women testified during the nine-day trial. Winslow did not take the stand.
Defense attorneys pointed out inconsistencies in the accusers’ testimonies and argued the women invented the allegations to prey on the wealth of Winslow, who reportedly earned more than $40 million during his injury plagued career.
Prosecutors say the son of Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow felt empowered by his fame to abuse the most vulnerable. Prosecutor Dan Owens told the jury of eight men and four women that Winslow is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
NEW YORK — Jeff Van Gundy got USA Basketball into this summer’s FIBA World Cup.
And now he’ll try to beat them as well.
USA Basketball on Monday announced the 20 names of players for the national team training camp to be held this summer in advance of the World Cup in China — plus revealed that Van Gundy will coach the select team that will scrimmage against the national-teamers during that camp.
Most of the 35 players selected last year for the pool are no longer in the mix for various reasons. The 14 that remain are Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, James Harden, Tobias Harris, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton, Myles Turner and Kemba Walker. The six additions are Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, Paul Millsap, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and P.J. Tucker.
ARCADIA, Calif. — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has joined the California Horse Racing Board in calling for Santa Anita to immediately suspend the remainder of its meet after the deaths of two more horses last weekend.
A total of 29 horses have now died since the track opened for the season in December. The current meet is scheduled to end June 23.
The California Democrat said Monday that “something is seriously wrong,” whether it’s the track surface or problems involving training or medication. She said no one seems to know, yet training and racing continues.
“How many more horses need to die before they act?” she asked, referring to management at the Arcadia racetrack.
Santa Anita has enacted a series of reforms aimed at improving safety but despite its efforts the deaths have continued except during one six-week stretch in which no horses died.
“After extensive consultation among all partners, Santa Anita Park will stay open through the end of its meet to see these reforms through,” said a statement attributed to track owner The Stronach Group, the Thoroughbred Owners of California and California Thoroughbred Trainers.
The groups say since reforms have been enacted, catastrophic injuries at the track have decreased by 50% in racing and by over 84% in training.
“To be clear, there are no acceptable losses and every day we work toward ending all serious injuries,” the groups said. “But the reality is that our improvements and changes have been effective.”
The groups say a detailed and serious epidemiological investigation of all track accidents is underway.
The state racing board has recommended that the track suspend the rest of the meet. However, Santa Anita management has chosen to continue racing.
The CHRB doesn’t have the authority to suspend a race meet or remove race dates from a current meet without the approval of the track operator or without holding a public meeting that requires 10 days’ notice.
The racing board recommended that Santa Anita suspend racing but allow horses to continue training, believing it would provide the industry extra time to fully implement announced safety initiatives.
The California State Senate has passed Senate Bill 469 that would authorize the racing board to suspend a track’s license in order to protect the health and safety of horses and riders. Feinstein urged the state Assembly to pass the bill as soon as possible.
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