Sexual Assault Charges Rock North Bay Hockey Team

SANTA ROSA, CA — Three members of the Santa Rosa Growlers hockey team have been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in Washoe County, Nevada.

Dominic Jones, 34, Josiah Nikkel, 30, and Moses Matthews III, 33, were arrested last Saturday and were booked into the county jail on suspicion of sexual assault.

Matthews was additionally booked on suspicion of unlawful dissemination of intimate images of another and distributing and displaying images of a person's private area.

The three players have been permanently removed from the team, The San Rosa Press Democrat reports.

Growlers captain Blake Johnson posted a statement on the Growlers' website, expressing the team's "deepest sympathies" to the alleged victim.

"Finding the words for this is nearly impossible," he said, adding that all three players have been removed from the team.

Johnson said that the players had traveled to Reno on their own personal time and that the alleged assault occurred on the day before the team's first game last Friday in which they participated.

Johnson said that the team was unaware of the allegations at that time.

"We regret that the players were allowed to play for us that evening," he said.

"We as a team and a club do not take sexual assault or any of the charges lightly and this news is both shocking and deeply concerning for all parties involved and their families."

— Bay City News and Patch staffer Gideon Rubin contributed to this report