Just three days after being granted immunity from prosecution under California’s mental health diversion laws, a Napa man allegedly committed a brutal murder, prompting serious concerns about a system intended to protect public safety.
On Tuesday, Napa County prosecutors filed murder charges against Ramiro Ochoa Mendoza, 36, for the killing of Noel Batres, 47, whose body was found under a bridge on July 3.
Mendoza, who had a history of criminal offenses and poor compliance on probation, was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial earlier this year on misdemeanor charges including violating a restraining order and resisting arrest.
Despite numerous attempts by defense counsel to dismiss the cases outright, the Court, following legislative guidelines, ordered Mendoza into a mental health diversion program with supervised release for the two remaining misdemeanors.
Mendoza, however, failed to appear for his scheduled mental health diversion review and was deemed non-compliant with the terms of the program.
“Mendoza promptly failed to appear in court for his mental health diversion review and was found to be out of compliance with the diversion program,” the Napa County District Attorney’s Office said.
Source: Man allegedly commits brutal murder just days after being freed by California’s mental health laws
Recent Comments