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Convicted of offenses involving daughter’s friends; jury still out


Jose Arana at his trial Wednesday. (GREG DERR/The Patriot Ledger)

By KRISTEN WALSH
The Patriot Ledger

BROCKTON - Jose Arana’s attorneys wrapped their arms around his back as he listened to a jury convict him of multiple sex crimes against two of his daughter’s teenage friends.

Arana’s victims wept and clung to their families as they listened to the verdicts.

Loud sighs of relief echoed in the courtroom as the young women and their loved ones neared the end of an emotional three-year ordeal, which still is not over.

A jury in Brockton Superior Court found Arana guilty on Friday of two counts of indecent assault against a child, a charge of attempted rape and three counts of giving alcohol to minors.

He was acquitted of two counts of drugging a person for sex and one count of forcible rape of a child - the most serious of the charges against him. - The jury failed to reach a verdict on three other counts of the same charge and will resume deliberations on Monday. The jury will also decide on a third count of indecent assault and battery against a child over 14.

Arana, 44, of Hull, a former Notre Dame Academy soccer coach, had been free on bail. A court officer led him from the courtroom in handcuffs after the verdict was read. He was taken to the Plymouth County Jail.

Judge Charles Grabau ruled that Arana presents a risk of flight because he has relatives outside the country. He revoked Arana’s bail, which had been set at $10,000.

The 12 jurors deliberated for more than six hours on Thursday and six hours on Friday before telling the judge that they had reached a verdict on nine of the 13 charges against him.

One of Arana’s attorneys, Patricia Downey, requested that the verdic ts not be announced until a decision had been made on all 13 charges, but Judge Grabau chose to hear the verdicts the jury had already reached.

Arana was accused of raping a 15-year-old Duxbury girl and her 14-year-old sister at a sleepover at his estranged wife’s home in Pembroke in July 2004.

Arana had been caring for his five children while his wife was vacationing in France.

The Aranas separated in 2003 and Susan Arana filed for divorce shortly after her husband was charged with rape.
Jose and Susan Arana are defendants in a $5 million lawsuit filed by the parents of the alleged victims. The suit alleges that Susan Arana was aware that her husband had been replaced as coach of the Plymouth Crusaders, a team for 15- and 16-year-old girls, because he got too close to his players.

Prosecutor Sharon Donatelle told jurors that Arana gave the girls alcohol and got them drunk before sexually assaulting them separately.

Arana allegedly admitted his guilt in a voicemail message he left for his daughter.

Downey said Arana’s voicemail was only a reference to giving the girls alcohol.

Arana did not testify at the trial.

Four teenage girls - the Duxbury sisters, Arana’s daughter and another girl - had been at the movies early in the evening before returning to the Arana home.

The prosecutor said Arana ‘‘charmed’’ the sisters and saw an opportunity to have sex with them.

The Patriot Ledger does not identify victims of sex-related crimes.

http://ledger.southofboston.com/arti...ews/news02.txt

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