2 soldiers, alleged felons, to be deployed

OLYMPIA, Wash., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Two U.S. Army Rangers accused in a bar burglary that left a man with a stab wound will be allowed to deploy overseas under a judge's ruling.

Alfred Joseph Sanchez, 20, and John Melville, 22, members of the Army's 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, face charges related to the March 28 burglary of a bar and the stabbing of Brad Merton, The Olympian reported Tuesday.

Sanchez is charged with first-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon and first-degree burglary. Melville is charged with first-degree burglary.

"If the situation were reversed ... if Brad had stabbed an Army Ranger, causing critical injuries, and was up on assault one with a deadly weapon charge ... he wouldn't be allowed to leave the country," said Kaye Mayo, Merten's mother.

An Army Ranger spokeswoman said she could not say where Sanchez and Melville will be deployed because it is classified information.

Sanchez is accused of stabbing Merten outside Charlie's Bar and Grill in Olympia after burglarizing the place.

Merten suffered a 6-inch gash in his back, a punctured lung, a broken rib and a damaged liver. He has recovered, but spent five days in the hospital, the newspaper said.

The trial is continued to the first week in May. Thurston County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim said he agreed to the continuance because witnesses also are in the military and are unavailable because they are overseas

Tunheim said he would not have agreed to the continuance without assurances from the Army the defendants would be back in the state for April court appearances.