Crawford Convicted of Theft

Willie Crawford, son of the former Dodger of the same name and a highly regarded UCLA football player who was dropped from the team this week, was convicted of theft Aug. 22 in Beverly Hills Municipal Court, court records show.

Crawford, 19, was sentenced to 24 months’ summary probation and ordered to pay a fine of $352.50. As part of a plea bargain to the misdemeanor charge, he was ordered by the court to pay $1,494.30 to Nordstrom department store and $298 to Lisa Papetti, a UCLA student.

Meanwhile, UCLA announced Friday that Damion Lyons, a junior cornerback from Berkeley, has been suspended for the season.

Lyons and teammate Roman Phifer, a junior linebacker from Pineville, N.C., face misdemeanor battery charges in the beating last May of a fellow student. Phifer also has been suspended for the season.

In the Crawford case, Papetti reported to UCLA police on June 7 that a backpack containing her belongings, including a checkbook and several credit cards, had been stolen from outside a campus cafeteria.

On June 12, Crawford was detained by Beverly Hills police officers, who found in his wallet Papetti’s driver’s license and a credit card issued to her.

Police said that a forged check drawn on Papetti’s account was used to pay for a pizza that was delivered on June 7 to a dorm room shared by Crawford and teammate Kerry Ferrell, a freshman split end from Piscataway, N.J.

Also, said Deputy District Attorney Elden Fox, charges totaling $1,494.30 were made on Papetti’s account between June 7-12 at a Nordstrom department store in West Los Angeles.

Crawford, who could not be reached for comment, paid Nordstrom that amount on the day of his sentencing last month, according to the district attorney’s office.

Prosecutors explained that under the summary probation agreement, Crawford will not be under supervision of a probation officer.

A three-sport star at Beverly Hills High, Crawford came to UCLA as a high school football All-American. After red-shirting last season, he threatened last spring to overtake Eric Turner, a returning starter, and move into the starting lineup.

Crawford’s father, who retired from baseball in 1977, compiled a .268 lifetime batting average in 14 major league seasons, including 12 with the Dodgers.