Duke players arrested in sex scandal from the Tri-State

(Durham, NC-AP, April 18, 2006) (WABC) -- Two Duke Universtiy lacrosse players from our area now stand indicted by a grand jury, accused of kidnapping and rape. They turned themselves over to authorities early this morning.

Collin Finnerty is from Garden City, Long Island and Reade Seligman is from Essex Fells, New Jersey.

Eyewitness News reporter Lauren Defranco is in Garden City with the story.

Neighbors say they're shocked by the allegations and they describe Finnerty as a "great kid."

20-year-old Collin Finnerty, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Garden City was arrested early this morning. The Duke lacrosse player is now facing charges of rape and kidnapping.

The alleged attack happened on March 13th, at a party held by their lacrosse team. The team members reportedly hired a stripper to perform. The 27-year-old woman, a black mother of two children, told police she was attacked by three white men that night, in a bathroom at the location where the party was held.

Finnerty is a graduate of the all boys academy, Chaminade High School. He grew up in the affluent neighborhood in Garden City.

No one was available for comment at his home today where lacrosse equipment sat on the lawn of his front yard.

A neighbor next door was reluctant to speak on camera and only had words of praise for Finnerty.

Unidentified Neighbor: "He's a good kid...any family would love to have a kid like him. He's one of the best kids that you could ever want. This is very sad."

The racially charged allegations have led to near daily protest rallies. The school canceled the highly ranked team's season and accepted the resignation of coach Mike Pressler.

Defense attorneys have urged the district attorney to drop the case, saying DNA tests failed to connect any of the 46 team members tested to the alleged victim. But D.A. Mike Nifong has argued that he has enough evidence to proceed. According to court records, a medical examination of the woman found injuries consistent with rape.

But this isn't Collin Finnerty's first brush with the law. In Washington D.C. last Fall, he was charged with assaulting a man who claimed Finnerty and two other men called him gay and derogatory names.

Still neighbors who know the Finnerty family, don't believe their son is capable of rape.

Neighbor: "To me they're all beautiful people. They are role models for Long Island."

Unidentified Neighbor: "The truth will come out, I'll bet my life on it. He's innocent, he's definitely innocent."

Defense attorneys have said time-stamped photos taken the night of the party show that the alleged victim was injured and impaired before she arrived.

Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann from Essex Fells, N.J. are charged with first degree rape and kidnapping.

Seligman attended Delbarton School, whose headmaster Rev. Luke Travers released a statement today saying, "It is our hope and our conviction that the full truth of all that happened that night will vindicate Reade of these charges."

The Durham, North Carolina district attorney hopes to charge a third person soon.

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