UCLA football player accused of rape

Adam Searl, a punter for the Bruins, is suspected of assaulting a fellow student at an off-campus party.

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 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 punter 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.”

Last year, Mora was among those featured in a video titled “Help UCLA Take a Stand Against Sexual Assault.”

According to police, Searl and the woman met at a house party on Oct. 19, 2014, in Westwood. He accompanied the woman to a nearby residence, where she fell asleep and awoke to Searl sexually assaulting her, police said.

“After an exhaustive investigation … she was able to identify UCLA student 20year-old Adam Searl,” police said in a statement. UCLA police aided in the case, officials 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.

Searl was arrested on campus, Richter said.

Searl’s father, John Searl, said the family had no comment and would be interviewing attorneys to represent Adam Searl next week.

Sources familar with the investigation but not authorized to discuss the specifics said that detectives have collected possible evidence of a sexual assault.

Police are expected to hand over their report to the district attorney’s office, which will consider charges against the student-athlete Tuesday.