3 UCLA basketball players suspended after theft in China

Three UCLA basketball players detained for shoplifting at three high-end stores in China publicly apologized Wednesday before coach Steve Alford announced they were being suspended indefinitely.

UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball is surrounded by the media as he leaves Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley won't be allowed to suit up, practice or travel with the team while the university continues to sort out the circumstances of last week's incident in Hangzhou, China, Alford said during a news conference at Pauley Pavilion.

"These are good young men who have exercised an inexcusable lapse of judgment and now they have to live with that," Alford said. "They let a lot people down in the process."

UCLA basketball players Cody Riley, left, LiAngelo Ball, right, and Jalen Hill, background center, are surrounded by the media as they leave the Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

"I'm confident that they have already begun to use this experience as a life lesson," he added.

Ball, Hill and Riley took turns confessing to the theft and apologizing while also thanking President Donald Trump for intervening on their behalf with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The players had returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday after Chinese authorities withdrew the charges against them.

UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball gets into a van at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

"I'm sorry for stealing from the stores in China," said Ball, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, who played last season at UCLA.

"I've learned my lesson from this big mistake and I'm a hundred percent sure I'll never make a mistake like this again. It's going to make me a better person from here on out."

Flanked by Cody Riley, left, and Jalen Hill, third from left, UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball reads his statement as head coach Steve Alford listens during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

When it was his turn, Hill said, "I'm sorry for shoplifting. What I did was stupid. I don't want to be known for this dumb mistake."

"I hope you can forgive my stupid, childish actions," he added.

Riley was the first to speak and he thanked the Pac-12 Conference, several UCLA administrators and his teammates.

UCLA NCAA college basketball players Cody Riley, from left, LiAngelo Ball and Jalen Hill leave after giving their statements during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

"You guys mean so much to me," Riley said of his teammates. "I'm sorry for letting you down."

Athletic director Dan Guerrero also spoke at the news conference, but no one took questions from a large group of media.

Alford didn't specify what the indefinite suspensions mean, saying only that the three players would have to earn their way back onto the team.

Flanked by teammates Cody Riley, left, and Jalen Hill, UCLA basketball player LiAngelo Ball reads his statement during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

He said at some point, the trio may be permitted to join team workouts, meetings and practices, but that timeline has yet to be decided.

"We will come to a resolution in short order," Guerrero said.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump tweeted: "Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!"

UCLA head coach Steve Alford, right, listens as Jalen Hill reads his statement during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

All three players did.

"I'd like to thank President Trump and the United States government for the help that they provided us as well," Ball said.

The players were detained in Hangzhou for questioning following allegations of shoplifting last week before the Bruins beat Georgia Tech in their season-opening game in Shanghai. The rest of the UCLA team returned home Saturday.

UCLA head coach Steve Alford gives his statement during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. Three UCLA NCAA college basketball players accused of shoplifting in China admitted to the crime and apologized before coach Steve Alford announced they were being suspended indefinitely. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Guerrero said the incident occurred when the team was given 90 minutes of free time on Nov. 6 in Hangzhou.

"Those three visited several stores, took items from three stores and returned to the hotel," he said, without revealing the items taken or their value.

The next day, Guerrero said, police arrived at the hotel shared by UCLA and Georgia Tech and interviewed both teams in an attempt to identify the culprits. Police searched the players' personal belongings and the team bus before identifying Ball, Hill and Riley, he said.

UCLA NCAA college basketball player Cody Riley reads his statement during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

No one from Georgia Tech was implicated.

Guerrero said the UCLA trio was taken to a police station for questioning, and Alford arrived later, along with basketball administrator Chris Carlson. Guerrero found out while flying to Shanghai.

After being arrested, the players remained in custody for questioning and were released on $2,220 bail on Nov. 8. Guerrero said they had to give up their passports and agree to travel restrictions.

UCLA NCAA college basketball player Jalen Hill reads his statement during a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Upon their release, they remained in a hotel at UCLA's insistence, not the local police's, with Carlson and another administrator supervising them, Guerrero said.

He said the bail money was refunded by police. Once the charges were withdrawn, the trio acknowledged breaking the law, he said.

Guerrero said UCLA provided the resources to help the players and the university is working to see who is responsible for costs and any NCAA implications.

Police told the players they could leave the country on Tuesday and they boarded a plane later that day.

UCLA NCAA college basketball player LiAngelo Ball attends a news conference at UCLA Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Los Angeles. Three UCLA basketball players accused of shoplifting in China admitted to the crime and apologized before coach Steve Alford announced they were being suspended indefinitely. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Guerrero said Alford reminded his team of the expectations for good behavior before they left on the trip and while they were in China.

UCLA traveled to China as part of the Pac-12's global initiative that seeks to popularize the league's athletic programs and universities overseas. The China Game is in its third year, and while the scandal was developing the league announced that California and Yale will play in next year's edition.

The No. 23 Bruins host Central Arkansas in their home opener on Wednesday night.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A coalition backed by retailers like Walmart and Target announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing.

Californians for Safer Communities, a bipartisan group made up of law enforcement, elected officials and businesses, said it has collected more than 900,000 signatures in support of the measure to roll back parts of Proposition 47. The progressive ballot measure approved by 60% of state voters in 2014 reduced certain theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors to help address overcrowding in jails.

In recent years, Proposition 47 has become the focus of critics who say California is too lax on crime. Videos of large-scale thefts, in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have often gone viral. The California Retailers Association said it’s challenging to quantify the issue in California because many stores don’t share their data.

Crime data shows the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles saw a steady increase in shoplifting between 2021 and 2022, according to a study by the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California. Across the state, shoplifting rates rose during the same time period but were still lower than the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, while commercial burglaries and robberies have become more prevalent in urban counties, the study says.

The ballot measure would create harsher penalties for repeat shoplifters and fentanyl dealers. Shoplifters would be charged with a felony, regardless of the amount stolen, if they have at least two prior theft convictions. It also would create a new drug court treatment program for those with multiple drug possession convictions, among other things. More than 800 people died from fentanyl overdoses in San Francisco last year, a record for the city.

California's approach to crime is poised to be a major political issue in November's election. Beyond the ballot measure, Democratic San Francisco Mayor London Breed faces a tough reelection bid against competitors who say she's allowed the city to spiral out of control. Meanwhile, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price faces a recall election, and Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón faces a challenger who has criticized his progressive approach to crime and punishment.

Top Democratic state leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have repeatedly shut down calls to repeal Proposition 47. Newsom argued California already has tools to sufficiently go after criminals and urged lawmakers to bolster existing laws and go after motor vehicle thefts and resellers of stolen merchandise. Lawmakers have introduced a slew of bills aiming to tackle retail theft and online resellers.

Opponents of the ballot initiative called the effort a misinformation campaign by giant retailers that would undo criminal justice progress in the state.

“We must invest in smart solutions that prevent retail theft and promote long-term public safety, not the same failed strategies that exploded our prison populations and cost taxpayers billions without making our communities safer,” Cristine Soto Deberry, executive director of Prosecutors Alliance of California, said in a statement.

The ballot measure campaign, which has raised at least $5.4 million as of early April, is mostly funded by large retailers. It has received $2.5 million from Walmart, $1 million from Home Depot and $500,000 from Target. The measure also has support from district attorneys and more than 30 local elected officials — including Breed and San Jose's Democratic mayor.

Lana Negrete, vice mayor of Santa Monica and a business owner, said she's considering closing down her family's two music stores in the area after nine smash-and-grabs in the last four years. Negrete, a Democrat, said she voted for Proposition 47 and supported its progressive approach, but the measure has allowed for some criminals to skirt punishments while businesses are hurting.

“Nobody's being held accountable,” Negrete said. “We’ve been robbed by the same person more than once, and that person, under the current structure and criminal justice system now, is walking the streets free.”

Her 52-year-old family business has lost more than $300,000 in merchandise loss and building repairs in the last few years, Negrete said. Some have advised Negrete start hiring armed security.

“We teach music lessons to children, I don’t need to have a guard in front of my store,” she said. “That’s not how it was when we started this business, and it’s sad to see it go that way.”

County and state officials must now verify the signatures before the measure is officially placed on the ballot. The ballot measure campaign needs at least 546,651 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

Former state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, speaks during a news conference organized by the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Culver City, Calif. The coalition, backed by retailers like Walmart and Target, announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock speaks at a news conference organized by the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Culver City, Calif. The coalition, backed by retailers like Walmart and Target, announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Tubby, the dog of former state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, sits during a news conference organized by the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Culver City, Calif. The coalition, backed by retailers like Walmart and Target, announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Juli Shamash holds up a photo of her son, Tyler Shamash, who passed away from a fentanyl overdose in 2018, during a news conference organized by the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Culver City, Calif. The coalition, backed by retailers like Walmart and Target, announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock listens at a news conference organized by the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Culver City, Calif. The coalition, backed by retailers like Walmart and Target, announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock speaks at a news conference organized by the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Culver City, Calif. The coalition, backed by retailers like Walmart and Target, announced Thursday it has collected enough signatures to put a ballot measure before California voters this November to enhance criminal penalties for shoplifting and drug dealing. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)