UCLA football player is suspended indefinitely following arrest in rape case
A UCLA football player has been arrested on suspicion of raping a fellow student at an off-campus party, the Los Angeles police said Friday.
Adam Searl, a punter on the team, was arrested and booked Thursday afternoon on three counts of suspicion of rape. He posted $300,000 bond and was released hours later, county jail records show.
Searl, a walk-on athlete with the Bruins, has been suspended, Coach Jim Mora said in a statement.
“We have been informed of the situation involving Adam Searl, and we take these accusations very seriously,†Mora said. “Adam has been suspended from the team indefinitely while the legal process runs its course. Due to the ongoing police investigation, we are unable to discuss this matter further at this time.â€
Mora was among those featured in a video last year “Help UCLA Take a Stand Against Sexual Assault.â€
According to police, Searl attacked the woman on Oct. 19 last year after meeting her at a house party in Westwood. He accompanied the woman to a nearby residence, where she fell asleep and woke to Searl sexually assaulting her, police said.
“She didn’t know who this guy was,†LAPD Officer Jack Richter said. “It took them a long time. They went through photographs†and other evidence to try to identify her attacker, he said.
“After an exhaustive investigation … she was able to identify UCLA student 20-year-old Adam Searl,†police said in a statement. UCLA police aided in the case, officials said. Searl was arrested on the UCLA campus, Richter said.
Searl’s father, John Searl, said the family had no comment at this point on the arrest and would be interviewing attorneys to represent Adam Searl next week.
Sources familar with the investigation not authorized to discuss the specifics said detectives have collected possible evidence of a sexual assault from the alleged victim. They said that the evidence gathered by detectives allegedly shows multiple sex acts by the suspect.
Police are expected to hand over their report to the district attorney’s office to consider charges against the student-athlete Tuesday.
For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.
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