USC football recruit Maurice Simmons arrested for robbery

3/8/2008 12:25 AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -A University of Southern California football recruit was charged Friday in connection with the robbery of a man on a Compton street.

Maurice Simmons, 18, and another man, 19-year-old Lamont Hall, were charged with second-degree robbery and assault with a firearm. Both pleaded not guilty in court.

Simmons is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker from Dominguez High School in Compton. He signed a letter of intent last month to accept a USC scholarship for this fall.

On Wednesday night, gang enforcement deputies in Compton were flagged down by a person who reported being robbed, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

``Moments after that, the alleged suspects were discovered in a vehicle leaving the scene,'' he said.

The victim and witnesses identified two men inside as the robbers, he said.

Simmons, who was driving, and Hall were arrested and a handgun and the victim's stolen property were found in the car, Whitmore said.

Other details were not immediately provided.

``We're aware of it and we're going to monitor the situation,'' USC sports information director Tim Tessalone said.

Simmons is the younger brother of Melvin ``Champ'' Simmons, who was a USC linebacker during the 2002-03 seasons. Another brother, Marvin, also intended to play at USC but did not qualify for entrance. He later played at Kansas State.

A Superior Court judge set Simmons' bail at $85,000, and Hall's at $215,000. The two were scheduled to return to court March 26 for a preliminary hearing.