Jury acquits Bueno

 It took jurors only 30 minutes to acquit Roger Bueno of all charges in his sexual assault trial Thursday.

The 19-year-old former all-district wide receiver for the Andrews Mustangs was indicted in December 2007 on two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child younger than 14.

Bueno declined comment after tearfully embracing family and friends outside of Judge Bill McCoy's 358th District Court.

"I'm relieved," defense attorney Rick Navarrete said. "You always have faith in the system but are scared as to whether or not it's going to work. We're talking about a 19-year-old kid. He has his whole life ahead of him."

Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said the prosecution did the best with what evidence it had and accepted the jury's decision.

The charges could have carried up to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Assistant District Attorney Scott Layh tried the case.

In closing arguments, Navarrete emphasized the fact that a medical exam found no physical evidence of any trauma to the complainant despite allegations of years of abuse. Navarrete also pointed out inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and gray areas in statements made by the complainant's family.

After telling the jury they were thrown into "a major wildfire" of a trial, prosecutor Layh said contradictions in witness testimony doesn't mean the allegations didn't happen.

"The state contends that what we are alleging in the indictment is absolutely true," he said.

The complainant, a 12-year-old male at the time of complaint, is related to Bueno by marriage. The complainant's mother declined to comment on the case after the verdict Thursday.

Bueno was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in April 2007 after police learned of his questionable residency status while following up of the sexual assault allegations. According to witness testimony Wednesday, Bueno was applying for citizenship after being adopted by his grandmother, who he's been living with in Andrews since age 3, but the process hadn't been completed at that point.

He declined voluntary deportation to Mexico and was held in ICE custody for five months before being released. He's been staying with his grandmother ever since.