OCEAN CITY — One of three individuals charged in the beating and theft of a man in Ocean City was sentenced this week to 10 years, half of which was then suspended.
Jason Guzman, now 18, of Parkesburg, Pa., was one of three suspects charged in the beating of a male victim in a resort parking lot in June. Earlier last month, Guzman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. Back in court on Monday, Guzman was sentenced to 10 years, all but five of which was suspended. He was also placed on supervised probation for three years.
One of Guzman’s co-conspirators, Patrick Nolan, 22, also of Parkesburg, was found guilty last year of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and received the same sentence. A third suspect in the case, Nicole Yake, 19, of Parkesburg, is set to appear for trial on Feb. 13.
On June 12, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers arrested Guzman and Nolan for their roles in the beating and robbery of another man in a parking lot in the resort. Following the incident, OCPD detectives interviewed Yake, who told police the male victim allegedly beaten and robbed by Guzman and Nolan had raped her at a party, which is why the two men assaulted the victim. According to police reports, Yake told detectives the victim had followed her into the bathroom and raped her during a party.
Yake then changed her story and told detectives the victim threw her onto a bed and began choking her in front of everyone at the party including Guzman and Nolan. During an interview following the incident, Yake told police she had videoed the ensuing assault on the victim with her cell phone and provided the phone and a consent form for it to be searched.
OCPD detectives were able to find the video of the beating and robbery of the victim. According to police reports, Yake was sitting in a parked car next to the area where the assault occurred. The video also shows the victim on the ground in a fetal position unable to defend himself while Nolan and Guzman kicked his face and stomped his head multiple times, according to police reports.
The video reportedly shows Guzman and Nolan stop beating the victim long enough to go through his pockets and take items from him including money, a necklace and a belt. According to police reports, the video then shows the two suspects continue attacking the victim.
Following the June 12 incident, the victim was transported to the hospital where he was treated for a laceration on the side of his head that required six staples, a concussion, broken nose, severe bruising to his right eye and multiple abrasions on his head, face, neck hands and arms.
According to police reports, the audio accompanying the cell phone video reveals Yake was laughing during the attack on the victim. A search of the cell phone data also revealed a text message thread between Yake and Nolan. According to police reports, Nolan texted Yake “record this right now,” and “we ‘bout down him,” according to police reports.
Yake later told police after speaking with her mother she now knew that she had used the word rape inappropriately. Yake told police she did not know what rape really meant and that she meant to say she was sexually assaulted by the victim, according to police reports.
Ultimately, Yake admitted the victim did not sexually assault her or choke her in any way leading up to the assault and robbery of the victim. When asked why she told police she had been raped, she told officers she was drunk, according to police reports.
It was also determined Yake drove Nolan and Guzman from the assault and robbery scene and then brought them back after it was learned one of the suspects dropped some of his property at the scene.
