The criminal case against a man accused of attempting to murder a homeless woman with his vehicle in front of a Millbrae Starbucks was suspended on Thursday after defense attorneys questioned his mental competency.
Two judge-appointed doctors will assess the suspect, 23-year-old Garrett Young, on September 27 and they will determine if he is competent enough to stand trial.
Early Monday morning, Young allegedly drove his BMW SUV into 53-year-old Gyselda Joseph while she was standing on the sidewalk near the Starbucks at 513 Broadway Ave.
According to KTVU, San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told reporters Young not only struck the victim, but ran her over with his vehicle four more times while she was on the ground.
"He saw her, and he decided, 'You know what? I'm going to kill her,'" Wagstaffe said.
Joseph, who is homeless, remains in life-threatening condition at a local hospital and her family has been notified from out of state.
Young worked at the Safeway across the street from the coffee shop, where he collected shopping carts and cleaned the bathrooms. Investigators said the victim frequently went into the store and that Young felt she had been mean to him for months, often shouting at him and accusing him of not cleaning the bathrooms well.
The grocery store employs special needs people, and Young has a learning disability and is autistic, authorities said.
Wagstaffe argued his disabilities should not absolve him from the murder charges.
“He clearly knew what he did was wrong,” Wagstaffe said.
The suspect’s psychological evaluation could take six to eight weeks, according to the San Jose Mercury News. The case will resume if Young is found competent, otherwise he will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital.
Young is being held without bail at Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City.
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