Placement hearing date still unsettled for accused of stabbing attack on Bay Area-bound Amtrak train

"The fate of a 24-year-old Sacramento man, who is charged with stabbings on an Amtrak train last year, is at the intersection of the state's massive mental health care and criminal justice systems. Reversing her March decision, a Solano County Superior Court Janice M. Williams in May ruled that Brandon Torres-Mendoza was incompetent to stand trial. He faced a mental health facility placement hearing and a report from the North Bay Regional Center on Monday,"

"As previously reported, Williams, citing a new report by a psychologist, suspended criminal proceedings against Torres-Mendoza in May and ordered him to return for a placement hearing in June, the first time it was scheduled. On Thursday, the judge also will consider a report from the North Bay Regional Center, which provides behavioral services in Solano, Napa and Sonoma counties for people with developmental disabilities."

"Criminal charges have been suspended against Torres-Mendoza under Penal Code section 1368, which stipulates that a defendant in a criminal case cannot be tried or punished if they are mentally incompetent. However, once restored to competency, criminal charges can be reinstated and a defendant can face further legal proceedings, including a jury trial. Court and jail records indicate Torres-Mendoza in September 2024 appeared before Judge Kelley J. Trujillo in Fairfield as the criminal complaint was read."

Brandon Torres-Mendoza, a 24-year-old Sacramento man charged with stabbings on an Amtrak train, was ruled incompetent to stand trial and faces mental health placement proceedings. A judge reset a placement hearing and a North Bay Regional Center report for Sept. 23 after a defense request. The judge may order placement at MHM Services Inc.'s secure Vallejo facility or at one of five California State Hospitals. Criminal proceedings were suspended under Penal Code section 1368, barring trial or punishment while incompetent; charges can be reinstated if competency is restored. Deputy Public Defender Matthew Adler and Deputy District Attorney Gerald J. Hall appeared in court.

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