Judge: Rape suspects can be tried...

Judge: Rape suspects can be tried as adults

The son of the Orange County assistant sheriff and his two friends

can be tried as adults for the alleged rape of an unconscious

16-year-old girl, a judge ruled Friday.

Gregory Haidl, Kyle Nachreiner and Keith Spann, all three students

at Rancho Cucamonga High School, allegedly drugged the victim’s drink

and then raped her while a video camera filmed the incident on the

evening of July 5 in the home of Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, while

the elder Haidl was not home.

All three were 17 when the alleged attack occurred, but Nachreiner

and Spann have turned 18 since. The judge denied a motion by six

defense attorneys to send the case to county Juvenile Court, where

the penalties would be less severe.

The judge also began the preliminary hearing to decide whether

there is enough evidence on the 21 felony charges against the boys to

go to trial. That hearing will be continued on Tuesday. All three

pleaded not guilty on July 17.