ST. LOUIS -— Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang and his agent declined to comment Tuesday, hours after Chicago police confirmed they are investigating allegations that Kang sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman in his hotel room along the city’s Magnificent Mile last month.
Kang’s status with the team remained unchanged Tuesday night, though he was not in the starting lineup for the Pirates’ game against the Cardinals. He declined to address the investigation when questioned by a reporter as Kang walked off the field after batting practice at Busch Stadium, through the visitors’ dugout and into the clubhouse. His agent, Alan Nero, also declined to comment and would not answer any questions about the situation, including whether Kang has an attorney.
No criminal charges have been filed in the incident, in which the woman alleges Kang gave her an alcoholic drink that caused her to lose consciousness. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi described Kang, 29, as a “potential suspect,” cautioning that detectives are still in the thick of conducting interviews and collecting evidence.
“We're not in any position to identify a person of interest or a suspect just yet,” Guglielmi said Tuesday evening. He said it would be accurate to describe Kang as a focus of the investigation who has been named by the woman who filed the complaint.
The woman told police that she “came in contact” with Kang through Bumble, a smartphone dating app, and “ended up at” his room in the Westin Hotel on North Michigan Avenue around 10 p.m. on June 17, Guglielmi said. She alleged that Kang “gave her an alcoholic beverage, at which point she lost consciousness,” according to Guglielmi.
The woman told police that she remembers drifting in and out of consciousness and claims that she remembers Kang sexually assaulting her. She said she regained full consciousness while in a taxi cab, Guglielmi said.
Two days later, the woman went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where a rape kit was done. The hospital contacted police that day, Guglielmi said; he added that the woman and police were in contact over the next 10 days, though he would not release details, and said the woman filed a formal complaint June 29.
The Pirates today released a statement acknowledging the investigation.
“We have been made aware of the allegation that has been made against Jung Ho Kang,” Pirates President Frank Coonelly said. “We take allegations of this type extremely seriously. Pursuant to the Joint MLB/MLBPA Policy on such matters, this matter is exclusively before the Commissioner’s Office at this time. We have and will continue to cooperate fully with the Commissioner’s Office. As a result of the ongoing police investigation, we cannot comment further at this time. We have also advised our staff and our players that they should not comment on the matter either. We all need to be respectful to the police investigation of a very serious allegation.”
In August 2015, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed on a new policy governing domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The agreement granted the MLB commissioner’s office the authority to investigate allegations of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, and the ability to impose discipline, with no minimum or maximum guidelines. The commissioner’s office can discipline a player even if no charges are filed.
Jose Reyes, currently with the New York Mets, was suspended 51 games in May for allegedly grabbing his wife by the throat and shoving her into a glass door at a resort in Hawaii in October, while he was still with the Colorado Rockies. Prosecutors dropped charges because his wife did not cooperate with the investigation.
New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman received a 30-game suspension in March for firing a gun in his garage and allegedly choking his girlfriend in October. In May, Hector Olivera of the Atlanta Braves was suspended 82 games after being charged with assault and battery of a woman.
The MLBPA declined to comment on the matter. MLB released a statement Tuesday evening saying “We recently learned of the allegation against Jung Ho Kang. Our understanding is that police in Chicago are investigating this very serious matter. Major League Baseball will monitor the progress of this investigation closely and will respond fully as additional facts emerge.”
Guglielmi said the police department has been in contact with the Pirates, but he would not discuss any interviews conducted by detectives or evidence that has been collected.
“Detectives will be looking into all aspects of how this encounter occurred,” Guglielmi said. “If there are witnesses in this case, we don’t want the entire case file to be in the public record, so we can determine who’s a credible witness and who isn’t.”
On Bumble, daters scan the profiles of potential mates and indicate interest by swiping right on their smartphone screens. But after a man and a woman express mutual interest, only the woman can initiate a chat. If she does not reach out within within 24 hours, the connection disappears. Men can extend that deadline once per day, according to the app.
Bumble also has an exclusive section, called VIBee, that rewards positive behavior with a verified profile, according to Business Insider.
The story was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Elizabeth Bloom contributed. Jonathan D. Silver: jsilver@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1962 or on Twitter @jsilverpg. Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com or on Twitter @BrinkPG.
Correction: Major League Baseball issued a statement on the matter Tuesday night. A previous version of this article stated the league did not respond to messages seeking comment.
First Published: July 5, 2016, 9:31 p.m.
