Man Acquitted of Sexual Assault Charges in Garden Grove Hotel

Jury finds 33-year-old Fouad Alyasini not guilty after about a day of deliberations.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 2:42am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a crumpled hotel room key card, the harsh flash creating dramatic shadows and textures to convey the serious, investigative nature of a sexual assault case.A stark, gritty image of physical evidence from a sexual assault case exposes the investigative challenges faced by law enforcement and prosecutors.Garden Grove Today

A 33-year-old man was acquitted on Thursday of sexually assaulting a woman in a Garden Grove hotel about 5 1/2 years ago. Jurors deliberated for around a day before clearing Fouad Alyasini of two counts of forcible oral copulation, kidnapping to commit oral copulation, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.

Why it matters

The case highlights the complexities around sexual assault allegations and the high burden of proof required for conviction, even in cases that may initially appear straightforward. The acquittal also raises questions about the reliability of witness testimony and the challenges prosecutors face in securing guilty verdicts in he-said, she-said scenarios.

The details

Alyasini was accused of attacking the woman at the Hyatt Regency Orange County on August 8, 2020. The accuser said she felt "unsafe" and described Alyasini's driving as "like someone drunk driving" on the way to the hotel. Once there, the accuser's friend began having consensual sex with Alyasini, prompting the accuser to retreat to the bathroom. After the friend left, the accuser testified that Alyasini "became aggressive" towards her.

  • The alleged incident occurred on August 8, 2020.
  • The jury deliberated for about a day before reaching the verdict on April 17, 2026.

The players

Fouad Alyasini

A 33-year-old man who was acquitted of sexual assault charges in the case.

The Accuser

A woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Alyasini in a Garden Grove hotel in 2020.

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What they’re saying

“It was nerve racking waiting to hear (the verdict) and watching the bailiffs standing around me" in case he was convicted.”

— Fouad Alyasini

“What she didn't expect was to be manhandled like a rag doll.”

— Sarah Rahman, Deputy District Attorney

What’s next

The case highlights the ongoing debate around sexual assault allegations and the high bar for conviction, even in cases that may initially appear straightforward to prosecutors.

The takeaway

This acquittal underscores the complexities involved in sexual assault cases, where witness testimony and evidence can be contradictory or inconclusive. It raises questions about the reliability of eyewitness accounts and the challenges faced by prosecutors in securing guilty verdicts in he-said, she-said scenarios.