Second mental evaluation ordered for man accused of attacking mother
A Cabazon man accused of attacking his mother and holding her against her will is expected to undergo a mental health evaluation today following his arrest on a warrant for failure to appear for the same evaluation last month.
Richard Anthony Diaz, 32, is charged with assault, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness.
Diaz was arrested March 20, 2018, following the alleged assault in the 14000 block of Marino Street. Diaz’s 54-year-old mother went to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Cabazon station at 9:42 a.m. that day and said her son had assaulted her, Sgt. John Carlberg said.
Judge Mark Johnson granted a defense motion for Diaz to undergo an examination to determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial on Feb. 13. Judge Johnson also transferred Diaz’s case to the Mental Health Court that same day, according to court records.
Diaz failed to appear for the mental health examination on Feb. 21. A bench warrant for $50,000 was then issued by Judge Bambi Moyer, Riverside County District Attorney’s spokesman John Hall said. The initial bail bond of $25,000 was also forfeited.
The warrant was recalled on Tuesday following Diaz’s arrest on Friday.
Diaz was originally arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but prosecutors filed a lesser charge of assault with a deadly weapon — his hands – – and the false imprisonment count. Prosecutors later amended the assault charge to assault on a person causing great bodily injury and added a felony count of dissuading a witness.
