Warrants issued for Pan Am athletes

[projekktor id=’21654′]

Toronto Police have issued arrest warrants for two athletes that took part in this year’s Pan Am games athletes.

Two members of Brazil’s men’s soccer team are accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Toronto between July 25th and 26th. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Andrey De Silva Venutra, 22, and an Ontario-wide for Lucas Domingues Piazon, 21.

Police say the two men met a 21 year old woman and her friend at the Drake Hotel in Toronto the night of July 25th. The two men accompanied the women to a home, where police allege the two men sexually assaulted one of the women.

Police say the two men ran away after the alleged attack, which was reported the following day.

Venutra and Piazon were staying in Toronto from July 7th to the 27th, but returned to Brazil with their team following the end of the games.

Piazon is currently playing soccer in the United Kingdom while Venutra is playing in Brazil. Because there is no treaty with Brazil, police are working with Brazilian authorities to bring Ventura to Ontario to face the charge.

This is not the first sex crime-related investigation involving Pan Am athletes: in July police issued an arrested warrant for a water polo player on the Brazilian national team in connection to a sexual assault of a 22 year old woman. Similar to this case, the warrant was issued after the player had left the country.

Image: Toronto Police