Doctor evaluating mental competency of defendant in arson case

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A court-appointed doctor has not completed his mental competency evaluation of a Nipomo man charged with arson for allegedly setting a fire inside a Santa Maria courtroom, prosecutors said Thursday.

Eric Wolfgang Spies, 31, was scheduled to appear in court Thursday to set a date for a competency determination hearing, but that did not happen, Deputy District Attorney Austin Ingalls told the News-Press.

“Dr. Witta was unable to complete his report by today’s court date and asked for some additional time to complete his competency evaluation,” the prosecutor said. “The next court date is scheduled for 04/20/2023.”

The issue arose earlier this month when Mr. Spies’ attorney voiced doubt about his client’s legal competence, putting the criminal proceedings against him on indefinite hold.

Mr. Spies’ case is being heard in San Luis Obispo because a Santa Barbara judge, without specifying why, declared it would be a conflict of interest for a Santa Barbara County judge to preside over his criminal case.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of arson and second-degree commercial burglary in connection with the Feb. 18 incident, in which he allegedly broke into the Santa Maria courtroom and set a fire, triggering the sprinkler system.

Falcon 9 set to launch today

SpaceX has delayed the launch originally planned for Thursday at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Falcon 9 rocket was rescheduled to take off at 7:29 a.m. today rom Space Launch Complex 4E.

The launch will bring the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 mission to low-Earth orbit. The

Police to enforce hands-free phone law

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Santa Barbara Police Department will be actively looking for drivers throughout the month who are in violation of the state’s hands-free cell phone law.

“Holding your phone and using it while driving is not only dangerous, but also illegal,” Officer Anthony Tornello said.

According to the 2022 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey, nearly 72% of drivers surveyed said that distracted driving because of texting was their biggest safety concern. In 2021, the California Highway Patrol issued nearly 56,000 citations for distracted driving.

Court officials said the combination of flames and water caused extensive damage to furniture, wall paneling, cabinetry, carpeting and court records. They estimated the cost to be about $750,000.

Mr. Spies allegedly went to the Santa Maria court complex, ignored a security guard’s order to leave and broke two glass doors to gain entry into the criminal court building. Once inside, he allegedly forced his way into a courtroom, pulling the doors so hard that he broke the wood frames on the top of the doors.

Court officials allege he then started a fire on the defense counsel’s chair, which spread to the table and carpet. The fire was so hot that it melted the lights in the ceiling and caused the sprinklers to come on, court officials said.

The defendant reportedly told the security guard he had received a notice about an upcoming hearing on a misdemeanor vandalism case and went to the court complex to see where he had to show up.

Mr. Spies asked the court at his arraignment to release him on a pretrial supervised release, but prosecutors objected based on public safety concerns. The court denied his request for release. He remains in custody at the Main Jail in Santa Barbara on no bail, a jail spokesman said Thursday.

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com mission involves space vehicles that will serve as part of the agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. That’s a new layered network of satellites and supporting elements that will provide for global military communication and missile warning, indication and tracking capabilities, according to SpaceX.

After the launch’s stage separation, the first stage booster will land on Landing Zone 4.

— Dave Mason

Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle. This includes talking, texting or using an app.

Using a handheld cell phone while driving is punishable by a fine. Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.

If you have an important phone call, text or email or are in a situation with other distractions, pull over to a safe parking spot, police said. Other distractions can be eating, grooming, reaching for something that fell on the floor, putting on or taking off clothing, or talking with passengers. Children in the back seat can also be a distraction.

— Neil Hartstein