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No charges filed against UCLA water polo player

By Daily Bruin

April 25, 2013 6:05 p.m.

The Los Angeles District Attorney did not file charges against a UCLA water polo player who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of raping another student, said a spokeswoman at the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse.

The case is currently “under review,” a District Attorney spokeswoman said. She declined to comment further.

Hakop Kaplanyan’s court appearance was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, and his family and friends showed up in support, according to his lawyer, Berc Agopoglu, in a statement on the Facebook page of his law firm.

Kaplanyan plans to appeal his suspension from UCLA in a hearing scheduled for Friday with Robert Naples, associate vice chancellor and dean of students, according to another statement posted on Facebook.

UCLA declined to comment on how the District Attorney’s decision would affect Kaplanyan’s suspension, according to Phil Hampton, a university spokesman. UCLA Athletics declined to comment on Kaplanyan’s status with the water polo team, said Nick Ammazzaloroso, a UCLA Athletics spokesman.

Kaplanyan was arrested and later released on $200,000 bail. Police said Kaplanyan was with the female student in his dorm room in the early evening when he allegedly raped her. She reported the incident to police that night.

Kaplanyan and his lawyer will appear on CBS News tonight, according to the Facebook statement.

Days after Kaplanyan’s arrest, he told local news stations he was innocent and wanted to return to school.

Members of the Armenian community centered around Glendale, Kaplanyan’s hometown, voiced support for him on the web, using the hashtag #SupportHakopKaplanyan hundreds of times on Twitter and creating a YouTube video, which gathered more than 54,000 views in 10 days.

In the video, titled “Hakop Kaplanyan – Innocence 2013,” 18 people unaffiliated with UCLA who identify themselves as Kaplanyan’s friends and family speak about the student’s character and reputation as a water polo player.

“A goal-oriented UCLA freshman is facing a rough obstacle, being accused of actions he did not commit. Our friend Hakop is trying to prove his innocence,” said the people in the video, which was made by Henrik Ghantarchyan and Lily Chorbadjian, both longtime friends of Kaplanyan and Glendale residents.

Razmig Sarkissian, a fourth-year English student at UCLA and former president of the Armenian Students’ Association, said he believed it was unfair of the video to point to Kaplanyan’s athletic accomplishments to demonstrate his innocence.

Compiled by Erin Donnelly and Loic Hostetter, Bruin senior staff.

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