TROJANS' SANCHEZ IS ARRESTED QUARTERBACK ACCUSED OF COMMITTING SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF  Staff Writer

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez was arrested for sexual assault Wednesday afternoon involving an alleged incident with a freshman female student.

Sanchez, 19, was arrested at the Cardinal Gardens apartment complex, across the street from the USC campus. He remained at Parker Center in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday night. No bail was set, but sources said it was expected to be $100,000.

Police took DNA and hair samples from Sanchez, according to sources. Witnesses said Sanchez went to an off-campus bar Tuesday night and was dropped off around 1:30 a.m. at Cardinal Gardens, where he met the alleged victim, who also lives in the complex.

Witnesses also said Sanchez appeared to be drunk. Sanchez's roommate, linebacker Brian Cushing, was initially arrested by police but later released. Sources said Cushing was asleep when the alleged incident occurred.

"The investigation is in the preliminary stages," said Los Angeles police officer April Harding.

USC placed Sanchez on "interim suspension" following his arrest, although officials were unsure if that meant he would take final exams, which begin next week.

USC coach Pete Carroll was in San Diego recruiting when he was told about the arrest and released a statement.

"We're just learning about this," Carroll said. "We'll cooperate fully and do whatever we can to assist. At this point, this is being handled by the university's student affairs office and we'll follow along with whatever action the university takes."

Ironically, Sanchez attended a workshop Tuesday night at Heritage Hall for athletes on rape awareness.

This is the third incident in the past two years involving a USC football player. Tailback Hershel Dennis was the subject of a sexual-assault investigation in 2004 but never charged. Cornerback Eric Wright was charged with sexual assault last year but the district attorney's office dropped the charges.

All of the incidents took place at Cardinal Gardens, where freshman football players usually live. Aside from the alleged sexual-assault incident, Sanchez was also under age for being in the bar Tuesday night.

This is not the first incident involving Sanchez this semester. Last month, campus security detained him after he allegedly broke a window at a fraternity party but did not make any arrests.

--Bush inquiry: A Pacific-10 Conference investigator said he hoped to meet with former USC star Reggie Bush next week regarding the house his parents lived in that was owned by a man who wanted to start a sports-marketing agency.

"The ball is in their court," Pac-10 investigator Ron Barker said.

Barker also wants to meet with former USC offensive tackle Winston Justice, to determine if he ever met with the representatives or agents connected to Michael Michaels, who owned the house outside San Diego.

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Mark Sanchez was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sexual assault.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) SANCHEZ