Son Accused of Hammer Attack Will Be Charged as An Adult
The Orange County District Attorney on Friday painted the picture of a cold and cruel predator who tried to beat his father to death before eating breakfast and going to school.
John Edward “Jack” Kudla, 17, of Rancho Santa Margarita, will be tried as an adult instead of a juvenile for the attempted murder of Jon Kudla while he slept in his bed Wednesday morning.
The elder Kudla, 50, is a reserve sergeant for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue. He remains at Mission Hospital in a medically-induced coma.
Because investigators have not been able to speak with the injured man, they have not been able to confirm a motive for the attack.
Jon Kudla lived at the Robinson Ranch residence on Shadow Rock Lane with his three sons and his mother, who found him unconscious in an upstairs bedroom with a severe head injury. Jack Kudla is the oldest of the three sons.
According to the D.A., young Kudla awoke on Wednesday and grabbed a large construction hammer from the downstairs kitchen, which was being remodeled; he then walked upstairs to his father’s bedroom and hit him over the head multiple times while the man slept.
The D.A. alleges Kudla then got dressed and ate breakfast, and told another family member that his father was sick and would probably stay in bed all day. He is accused of stealing his father’s wallet and keys and driving Jon Kudla’s black Volkswagen convertible to Trabuco Hills High, where he is a junior.
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