Former UCLA running back Maurice Drew and two other former UCLA
football players were charged with assault on Thursday after they
allegedly attacked a man in a Denny’s restaurant in Westwood
last month, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office
announced.
Drew, along with former Bruins Ricky Manning and Tyler Ebell,
was arrested April 23 after the alleged attack. The three players
reportedly drove off in Manning’s SUV, but were pulled over
by police officers once the vehicle was identified from a
helicopter.
The players were charged with one count of assault by means
likely to produce great bodily injury, Deputy District Attorney
Karen Murcia said.
They were released on $30,000 bail each. Their arraignment,
originally scheduled for Thursday, was postponed until May 26.
The Los Angeles Police Department released a report on April 24
that said Manning, who signed with the Chicago Bears as a free
agent this offseason, and “two other black males” had
been arrested. Drew and Ebell’s names were not revealed until
all three players were charged on Thursday.
Manning was the only one of the three to be arrested for assault
with a deadly weapon.
An ongoing LAPD investigation has found that Soroush Sabzi was
working on his laptop at the Denny’s on Tiverton Avenue in
the early morning on April 23 when “he got into an argument
with four to five men at a nearby table.” According to the
LAPD report, the group hit Sabzi numerous times and left the
location in a white SUV before the officers arrived at 3:10
a.m.
The LAPD is still investigating the other men involved in the
April incident. A warrant is currently out for their arrest.
Sabzi is still seeking medical attention to determine the extent
of his injuries, according to Sabzi’s attorney, Aviv Tuchman.
Sabzi may pursue a civil lawsuit.
“I’m currently contemplating and investigating the
incident, and all possibilities (including a civil suit) are being
looked into,” Tuchman told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Sabzi identified Manning in a picture “as the one who beat
him up,” but it is still unclear whether he has also accused
Drew or Ebell of attacking him. Manning is still on probation for a
similar assault in April 2002. If convicted, he faces up to four
years in state prison.
The incident overshadowed recent professional high points for
Drew and Manning. Drew was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in
the second round, exactly one week after his arrest. Manning signed
a five-year, $21 million offer sheet with the Bears as a restricted
free agent on April 21.
Manning played for UCLA from 2000 to 2003 and was drafted by the
Carolina Panthers in the third round. Ebell played at UCLA for two
years before transferring to UTEP after the 2003 season. He rushed
for 536 yards and scored five touchdowns in 2005.