One of two men accused of raping a minor in Lake Elsinore will ask judge to reduce bail

One of two young men accused of sexually assaulting adrunken 14-year-old Lake Elsinoregirl with whom the defendants had partiedwill ask a judge Tuesday to reduce his bail so he can get out of jail.

Michael Vance Petler, 19, and Tyler Gregory Romero, 18, both of LakeElsinore, are each charged with rape of a minor, forced oral copulation, sexualpenetration with a foreign object and distributing pornographic material to ajuvenile in connection with an alleged May 12 assault.

Petler is slated to appear Tuesday morning for a bail-setting conferenceat the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, during which his attorney willask Riverside County Superior Court Judge Judith Clark to reduce her client’s$165,000 bail based on defendant’s lack of a criminal record.

Romero is scheduled to appear before the same judge on Sept. 26 for afelony settlement conference. He’s also being held in lieu of $165,000. Bothdefendants are housed at the Southwest Detention Center.

The pair were arrested on Wednesday following a two-month investigation,according to sheriff’s Sgt. Todd Pauling.

He said a 14-year-old girl, whose identity was not released, allegedthat she met the defendants at a party in Lakeland Village, an unincorporatedcommunity near Lake Elsinore.

The victim acknowledged drinking alcoholic beverages and apparently leftthe party intoxicated, the sergeant said.

Petler and Romero accompanied the girl and allegedly assaulted her inthe area of Adelfa Street and Grand Avenue, he said.

Romero turned 18 years old four days prior to the alleged assault,allowing prosecutors to charge him as an adult.