May 14, 2008

Man pleads no contest in assault charges

Caitlin Cassady / Bay City News

A 38-year-old San Bruno man who shot three teenagers with a BB gun will be sentenced in August on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon, a San Mateo County deputy district attorney said Tuesday.

John Reindel pleaded no contest in front of Judge Clifford Cretan Monday, Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said. He will now face up to a year in county jail for the felony assault charges.
He was previously facing up to five years in state prison for the incident, Guidotti said.

Reindel was charged after an incident Aug. 2, 2007, when he joined in a water balloon fight with his 13-year-old neighbor and the neighbor's friends, Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
The three boys were apparently having a water balloon fight in the yard and making lots of noise when Reindel came out to investigate, Wagstaffe said. According to the boys' statements, Reindel joined in the fun first, but then unexpectedly pulled out a BB gun and began firing, striking all three boys multiple times.

One of the boys ran inside and called the police, who arrived at the home shortly. Reindel was identified by the boys and subsequently arrested, Wagstaffe said.

Reindel stated that he was just trying to shoot the water balloons, and that he had really bad aim. None of the boys was seriously injured in the shooting.

Reindel is out of custody on $50,000 bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5.