SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A former Yuma Police officer testified Tuesday in his trial for the rape of a woman in Kensington.
Jared Elkins, 34, raped his wife’s cousin after a family gathering at her home on Marlborough Drive last year, prosecutors said. The group had been out to dinner, then watched a movie while drinking beer and wine at home.
She testified last week, saying she didn’t yell during the alleged attack because Elkins threatened to kill her. His wife was asleep across the hall at the time.
After the encounter, the woman said she ran into her mother’s room for help, and they both escaped out a window.
At a hospital, the alleged victim's blood-alcohol level was determined to be .09 percent, according to witness testimony.
Police said Elkins told them that the sex was consensual and the rape charges were made out of guilt.
Elkins told the jury the alleged victim started flirting with him after everyone else went to sleep.
“There was mutual flirtations between the two of us and we were being adults,” said Elkins, who testified the woman was “cuddling, almost snuggling” with him.
“She said yeah, it was surprising to me; I was excited a younger attractive woman, you know, it kind of confirmed everything on the couch,” Elkins said.
Elkins resigned from the Yuma Police Department in 2017. He is facing nine felony counts including forcible rape and could serve 14 years in prison if convicted.
City News Service contributed to this report.
