Charges dropped against Colorado man accused of on-campus rape of UMKC student

Rape charges have been dropped against a 22-year-old Colorado man accused of sexually assaulting a female University of Missouri-Kansas City student in a campus dorm.

Juan D. Contreras, of Greeley, Colo., was charged in March with one count of rape. He was accused of raping a female UMKC student in February.

Prosecutors dismissed the case Monday, according to Michael Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Mansur said charges were dismissed after much discussion with victim and witnesses.

“We determined we would not be able to meet our burden of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” Mansur said, adding UMKC campus police were notified of the decision.

Contreras was released from custody Tuesday, according to online records. He was not a UMKC student.

According to media reports, Contreras was an undocumented immigrant. It was not immediately known if Contreras was placed in federal custody after his release from the Jackson County Detention Center.

The rape allegedly occurred Feb. 23 at Johnson Hall on the UMKC campus. Conreteras allegedly carried the unconscious woman through the lobby of the dorm after a night of drinking.

According to court documents, the alleged victim later told police that after consuming a drink Contreras bought for her, she didn’t remember anything else until waking up the next morning.

When the woman woke up, she noticed some of her clothing had been removed. Court documents said that when the woman asked Contreras what happened, he reportedly told her that he had sex with her.

Students later protested the university’s initial response to the alleged crime and the school’s sexual assault policies.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Charges dropped against Colorado man accused of on-campus rape of UMKC student."