A friend of Browns tight end David Njoku was arrested for suspicion of rape at an apartment he shares with Njoku. The woman said she was in the bed of Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins, who also lives in the apartment, and found out only after having sex that the man she was in bed with was Njoku’s friend, Kashwayne Nelson.
Nelson was released without being charged with sexual assault because the woman said she feared her family finding out about the incident if she pressed charges, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Nelson is charged with obstructing official business because he gave the police someone else’s drivers license when they asked for his name. Neither Njoku nor Higgins is accused of any crime.
“Rashard immediately notified us of the situation and he and David fully cooperated with the police while being interviewed,” the Browns said in a statement. “While our players were not the target of any allegations involving illegal activity, they understand the seriousness of the situation and we have expressed our concerns regarding the matter.”
The woman, who had been spending time with both Nelson and Higgins, said she fell asleep in Higgins’ bed. She said a man she thought was Higgins came into the room and they had sex, but when she heard his voice she realized it was Nelson. She said she tried to call the police but Nelson ripped her phone away and pulled her hair. Eventually she ran out of the apartment and called 911. Higgins was not in the apartment at the time. Njoku had spent the entire evening in his own room and was not with the others.
Higgins said he had just met Nelson when he moved into Njoku’s apartment, where Nelson has also been living. Nelson and Njoku are friends.
Although the woman said she does not want to press sexual assault charges, officers asked her to go to a hospital for a rape kit in case she changes her mind, and she complied with that request.
