Hicks’ Father Denies Charges In Joyride Case

The father of UCLA running back Skip Hicks on Thursday denied charges that his son took a car for a joyride and then abandoned the vehicle last November.

Charles Hicks, speaking from his home in Wichita Falls, Tex., said his son knew nothing of the charge until Jan. 6, when he returned to school after the Christmas holidays.

KCBS-TV reported Thursday that Hicks, 22, had been charged by the city attorney’s office with joyriding and driving without a license for allegedly taking a car in Westwood.

The TV station said Hicks is accused of taking keys from a valet’s box and driving away with the car.

If convicted, KCBS-TV said, Hicks could be fined $2,000 and face a jail term of up to 18 months.

Neither the West Los Angeles division of the Los Angeles Police Department nor the UCLA police had specifics concerning the charges. Hicks’ father said two attorneys had been retained in Texas.

Neither was immediately available for comment.

Hicks has one year of eligibility remaining with the Bruins. He rushed for 1,034 yards last season, and set school records with 20 touchdowns.