Ypsilanti teenager accused of assault, carjacking to undergo competency exam
An Ypsilanti teenager charged with seven felonies in connection with multiple assaults and attempted carjackings last month will undergo psychological testing.
Court records show Justin Biddles, 17, was ordered to undergo a mental competency examination at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in York Township.
Justin Biddles
Authorities accuse him of punching a woman in the arm when she refused to hand over her car keys on July 16. He then allegedly broke into an elderly man’s residence in the Forrest Knoll apartments and assaulted him with a broom while demanding his keys.
Biddles forced the man outside and began smashing the windshield and driver’s window of a truck the man entered, police said. The victim suffered injuries to his head and face. Ypsilanti police officers arrested Biddles near the scene.
The charges levied by prosecutors include assault with intent to rob while unarmed, carjacking, home invasion and malicious destruction of property.
Biddles remains in custody on $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in district court for a competency hearing on Oct. 26, records show.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
Cameron
Thu, Aug 12, 2010 : 5:28 a.m.
lock'em up(him)somewhere, more concern needs to be for the victim(s)...not the suspect(s)...in any such case. Far too often we hear about some injustice done to the suspect in a criminal case, no one takes the time to think that the suspect never thought twice about the injustice he/she was about to do the victim.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Aug 11, 2010 : 5:10 p.m.
Ditto, the mods were extra capricious busy beavers today.
A K P
Wed, Aug 11, 2010 : 4:20 p.m.
Don't read too much into this. A competency exam is SOP with a minor defendant in a criminal case. And it's a good thing. Doing the competency exam now prevents the defense from moving for a mistrial on the basis that it wasn't done. And it's not a hearing to determine his mental fitness, either. That's a completely different notion. The competency exam that takes place in the juvenile courts is to determine whether or not the minor has an understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Since I'm guessing he would know that it was wrong if someone did to him what he did to those people, his butt is toast.
patroit728
Wed, Aug 11, 2010 : 10:56 a.m.
mr biddles looks like he new what he was doing and he will get whats coming to him i dont think he will be back on the streets anytime soon good job to all law inforcement
berda
Wed, Aug 11, 2010 : 10:05 a.m.
i hope he gets the help he needs poor child i will pray for him