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Attorney: Ex-Westminster Cop Convicted Of Rape, Kidnap Hangs Himself

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A former Westminster police officer convicted of kidnap and rape has been found dead in his jail cell hours before he was scheduled to make a court appearance.

An attorney for 32-year-old Anthony Nicholas Orban confirmed to CBS2 that his client hanged himself early Friday morning.

Attorney James Blatt says Orban's family was notified of his death around 10 a.m. Orban was expected to appear before a judge for a sentencing and probation hearing at 1:30 p.m.

KNX 1070's Karen Harlow reports Orban was a war veteran who was reportedly taking the anti-depressant Zoloft to help with his post-traumatic stress syndrome.

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His attorney argued that the drug made him unaware of his actions on the day of the attack.

Orban was convicted this past June of seven counts of kidnapping and rape stemming from the 2010 attack.

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» Jury Gets Case Of Ex-Detective Who Claims Zoloft Made Him Kidnap, Rape Woman

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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