Jan. 21 date set for Tony Zendejas rape trial

A Jan. 21 trial date was set this morning for a former NFL kicker accused of drugging a woman at a San Dimas nightclub and raping her at a nearby motel.

A defense attorney for Tony Zendejas, 48, re-entered not guilty pleas on his behalf at this morning's hearing at Pomona Superior Court.

Zendejas, wearing a dark suit and gray tie, did not speak during the brief hearing. A pre-trial hearing was set for Dec. 12, and a readiness conference was set for Jan. 16.

One of Zendejas's attorneys, Timothy Younger, said he doesn't expect there to be any delays to the scheduled trial date.

Zendejas, Younger said, is eager to testify at his trial to refute claims by the alleged victim that Zendejas drugged her in January at Zendejas Mexican Restaurant on Arrow Highway, then raped and sodomized her at a nearby Red Roof Inn.

Younger said that other defense witnesses will include other people who were at the restaurant the night of the alleged incident, and a toxicology expert to testify about the results of the alleged victim's blood and urine tests.

Zendejas faces four felony charges: rape by use of drugs, rape of an unconscious person, sodomy by anesthesia or controlled substance and sodomy of an unconscious victim. Two of the charges include great-bodily-injury sentencing enhancements.

Prosecutors have not offered Zendejas a plea deal, and if they did Zendejas would not plead guilty to any charges, Younger said.

Zendejas was an NFL place-kicker from 1985 to 1995. He played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1991 to 1994.