Young Haidl Lands in New Snarl

In his fourth encounter with sheriff’s deputies since his arrest two years ago on rape charges, the son of a high-ranking Orange County sheriff’s official was questioned Wednesday about having sex with an underage girl.

Gregory Haidl, 19, who is free on bail while awaiting retrial of the gang-rape case, could face a misdemeanor charge for the Tuesday night incident involving a 16-year-old girl, authorities said.

Because the girl did not want to press charges and deputies did not witness them having sex, Haidl was not arrested, Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, said during an afternoon press conference.

Sheriff’s officials will turn over their report to the district attorney’s office, which will decide whether to file charges. A judge could decide to revoke Haidl’s $100,000 bail.

Haidl’s latest run-in with law enforcement happened about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday in San Clemente, where his mother lives and where he graduated from high school through a home-study program.

Amormino said neighbors called deputies to complain about a barking dog and loud noise. Deputies arrived two hours later, delayed because of a killing in the same city.

Haidl and four minors, ranging in age from 15 to 17, were at the home, where one of the minors was working as a dog-sitter. The three girls were in the house, and deputies found Haidl and the male in the backyard, “either in or near the bushes,” Amormino said.

An inquiry revealed that Haidl may have had sex Tuesday night with one of the girls, the sheriff’s spokesman said.

Deputies also found alcohol in the home along with marijuana, an amount that would fit into a teaspoon, Amormino said. Ownership of the alcohol and marijuana was not determined.

Sheriff Michael S. Carona and Haidl’s father, Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, were notified of the complaint about 5:45 a.m., Amormino said, after the minors’ parents had picked them up and Gregory Haidl drove himself home.

The department’s treatment of Wednesday’s incident, including the press conference disclosing the notification of sheriff’s officials, follows a July 2 Orange County Grand Jury report that criticized the department for conspiring to conceal an earlier encounter between Gregory Haidl and deputies.

Haidl’s attorney, Pete Scalisi, did not return calls seeking comment.

In the earlier incidents, Haidl was cited for trespassing and vandalism at various south Orange County locations while skateboarding with friends, one time when marijuana was present. Criminal charges were not filed for those violations.

Haidl will be in court in August to be formally charged for a new rape trial. Jurors in the first case deadlocked last month on the 24 charges against him and two friends in connection with the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in July 2002 at his father’s Corona del Mar home.