USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was arrested in April on suspicion of sexual assault, will not be charged because of insufficient evidence, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office announced Friday.
Sanchez, 19, was arrested at the Cardinal Gardens apartment complex near campus April 26 after a female USC student told police that he had sexually assaulted her. He has been free on $200,000 bail.
"From the outset of this investigation, I've been confident that the facts would come to light and that investigators would confirm that I was innocent of the allegation against me," Sanchez said in a statement released by USC. "I am grateful to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office and the LAPD detectives for their diligence in pursuing the truth and taking the time necessary to make the right decision. I also would like to thank my family, my fellow players, our coaching staff, the USC family and all of the people that stood by me during this very difficult time.
"I look forward to continuing my education at USC and being a positive contributor to our school, student body and team."
Sanchez, a redshirt freshman from Mission Viejo, took most of the snaps during spring practice after junior John David Booty suffered a back injury that required surgery.
USC put Sanchez on interim suspension after his arrest but allowed him to complete his finals. He has been attending summer session classes, but he had not been allowed to participate in team workouts or meetings.
Coach Pete Carroll said he was happy that Sanchez was exonerated but lamented that the process held him up to public scrutiny.
"An accusation like this is so damaging, because opinions are formed before all the facts are in," Carroll said in a statement. "His actions always have been exemplary, and I know they'll continue to be so in the future. ... Mark regretted that this situation reflected poorly on him, his family and his teammates. I know he'll work hard to put this behind him. He can now concentrate on his schoolwork and on preparing to compete for the quarterback job in the fall."
Sanchez is the second Trojan football player in a little more than a year not to be charged after being arrested on suspicion of felony sexual assault. In April 2005, the district attorney's office announced it would not file sex or drug-related charges against former cornerback Eric Wright because of insufficient evidence.
