5 Canyons Players Await Arraignment

Lee Smelser, men’s basketball coach at College of the Canyons, said Monday that he will wait for the outcome of an arraignment hearing before deciding whether disciplinary action will be taken against 5 Cougar players arrested Sunday after an early-morning scuffle with 5 off-duty Sherriff’s deputies outside a Santa Clarita Valley restaurant.

The players, who are scheduled to appear in Newhall Municipal Court on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., are practicing with the team pending the outcome of the hearing.

“We’ll just have to look at the decision that is handed down and go from there,” said Smelser, who also is Canyons’ athletic director.

The incident occurred at the In-N-Out Burger restaurant at The Old Road and Chiquella Lane near the Golden State Freeway at 1:10 a.m.--a few hours after Canyons’ 79-76 Western State Conference loss to Oxnard on Saturday.

Each of the deputies involved works at the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho, a county jail in Castaic. Deputy Daniel Fedele sustained a head wound during the incident and was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released, Sgt. Michael Watner said Monday.

Loren Cash and Kevin Price, both 19, and of Valencia, Deon Myricks, 19, of Northridge, Aaron Clark, 21, of Canyon Country, and Michael Collins, 19, of Los Angeles were booked in the Santa Clarita Valley Sherriff’s station for assault with intent to commit great bodily harm and were held in lieu of $3,000 bail each.

Cash, Collins and Myricks were released Sunday on their own recognizance, Clark was released Sunday on bond and Price was released Monday on his written promise to appear, said Det. Richard Cesaroni, who is investigating the case.

Cesaroni said Monday that he was in the process of locating and interviewing witnesses, including other Canyons players who were present at the incident. Cesaroni said he will present his findings this morning to the district attorney, who will decide whether to proceed with the case.