Carona trial testimony: Sheriff told of alleged Jaramillo interference into Greg Haidl case
A retired Newport Beach police chief testified today that he informed Mike Carona about the alleged interference of Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo into the Greg Haidl gang rape investigation, and that he didn’t think Carona passed on the information to internal affairs.
Bob McDonell said he wanted the former sheriff to be aware of the purported “role conflict” of Jaramillo regarding police officer’s attempt to interview Greg Haidl.
The alleged interference happened the night of July 8, 2002. Jaramillo advised Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl - the father of Greg — not to have his son interviewed by investigators who came to Greg Haidl’s Rancho Cucamonga house, Newport Beach Lt. William Hartford testified earlier today.
Both Jaramillo and Don Haidl were at the home that night, Hartford said. Jaramillo said he was there as Carona’s chief of staff and as a lawyer, he added. Jaramillo said that as a lawyer, he advised Don Haidl not to let investigators talk to his son.
Hartford testified that Jaramillo’s actions were in “complete conflict with his position as a police officer.”
Regarding McDonell’s letter to Carona, McDonell testified that Carona wrote him back, saying he discussed the incident with Don Haidl and Jaramillo and that their accounts differed significantly.
McDonell said he took Carona’s letter to mean that Carona decided not to pass the information to internal affairs. He said if he had received a similar allegation about another police officer, he would have referred the case for internal investigation.