Legal Cloud Hangs Over UCLA’s Faoa

Asi Faoa looks at his UCLA teammates and tries to remember what it was like to worry only about football and classes.

On Sept. 4, two days after the Bruins return from their opener at Alabama, the redshirt sophomore defensive end will stand before a judge in a pretrial hearing on two felony counts of assault that could bring up to 15 years in state prison.

A jury trial is scheduled to begin 10 days after the hearing.

“This is impossible to set aside,” Faoa said. “It’s hanging over me big-time.”

The case has lingered for more than a year. Faoa was arrested June 16, 2000, and charged with punching UCLA student Rodrigo Dezubiria at a fraternity party six weeks earlier. Dezubiria, 23, claims Faoa’s blow caused a brain injury.

Faoa, who has no criminal record, spent five days in jail before being released on $25,000 bond. His pretrial hearing was delayed until after the 2000 season and he pleaded not guilty to mayhem and assault charges in December. A jury trial was scheduled for January 31, but a death in the family of Faoa’s attorney, Milton Grimes of Newport Beach, caused delays.

Faoa admitted to police he hit Dezubiria, but said he acted in self-defense. Both students were dancing in a mosh pit and Faoa said he was struck first, suffering a black eye. He left the mosh pit and returned to help teammate Dennis Link, who Faoa said was scuffling with Dezubiria.

Faoa said he ducked a punch thrown by Dezubiria, punched him once in the left side of the jaw and left the party. Dezubiria was taken by ambulance to the UCLA Medical Center emergency room around 1:30 a.m.

For Faoa, a former student-body president at Anaheim Magnolia High, the oldest of seven children in a loving family and a player with great potential, this is a time of anxiety, uncertainty and regret.

“I never should have hit him, I know that, but it was self-defense,” he said.

Faoa, 20, made a successful transition from linebacker to end last season, but is behind Kenyon Coleman and Stephen Sua on the depth chart. Coach Bob Toledo said Faoa cannot be counted on until the case is resolved.

“Until a guy is proven guilty, he’s OK,” Toledo said. “But we’ve had to keep this situation in mind.”

Grimes is trying to negotiate a plea bargain.

“We are talking to the district attorney and trying to come up with a resolution,” Grimes said. “They still hold the position that Asi initiated the attack. They aren’t accepting that it was self-defense.”

Even if an agreement can be reached, fallout from the incident will continue, since Dezubiria has filed a civil suit against Faoa.