Man accused of attacking 7-year-old boy to undergo psychiatric evaluation
Daniel Poulsen, 32, of Desert Hot Springs appeared in a virtual arraignment Thursday afternoon at the Banning Justice Center. Poulsen is charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of child endangerment, causing great bodily injury. There is also a sentencing enhancement on both counts that he personally inflicted great bodily injury, which caused the victim to become comatose.
The criminal proceedings were suspended, and the judge appointed a doctor to evaluate Poulsen and determine whether he is competent.
"He doesn’t understand what the charges are. He is a diagnosed schizophrenic from my understanding," the public defender said.
BREAKING: Judge declares a doubt to see whether Daniel Poulsen, 32, is mentally competent. Poulsen is charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking a 7-year-old boy in #DHS over the weekend. He’s due back in court in September. Bail set at $1 million. #kesq pic.twitter.com/ADjPBNfbE6
— Shelby Nelson (@KESQShelby) July 23, 2020
During Thursday's court appearance, Poulsen repeatedly interrupted the judge, and had to be told to stop talking.
Poulsen was arrested Sunday morning after an extensive investigation led Desert Hot Springs police to his whereabouts. He's accused of attacking a 7-year-old boy the night before on the 9600 block of Vista Del Valle.
Friends and family identified the boy as Gavin Ludwick. A neighbor found Ludwick lying facedown on the ground outside, unconscious.
Police reviewed nearby surveillance video. They said Poulsen allegedly committed a random, unprovoked attack on Gavin as he walked home from a neighbor's house near where he lived.
According to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, the attack caused the child to "become comatose due to brain injury or to suffer paralysis of a permanent nature."
Gavin's mother spoke to News Channel 3 in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
"He doesn’t stay awake for very long. He wakes up I think to tell us that he’s in pain and he’s mad because he’ll kick his feet and he’ll slap the bed with his hand, his right hand because he still can’t move his left hand," mother Wendy Ludwick said.
Gavin was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center where he remains in the Intensive Care Unit.
His mother told News Channel 3 that doctors will need to replace a portion of Gavin's skull with a titanium plate, and that it will need to be replaced as he grows older.
Friends of the family set up a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses for Gavin: https://www.gofundme.com/f/love-for-little-gavin?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip
Meanwhile, Poulsen is due back in court on September 17. His bail is set at $1 million.
