Hearing on Moving Teen Suspect Delayed
A custody hearing to decide whether a Tarzana youth suspected of robbing two San Fernando Valley banks should be remanded to a psychiatric hospital or held at Sylmar Juvenile Hall was postponed Tuesday because a court-appointed psychiatrist had not yet examined the boy.
Sylmar Juvenile Court Judge Burton S. Katz ordered a psychiatric report after hearing testimony that Michael Morrison, 16, may suffer from a hereditary “mood disorder” that could be treated with anti-depressant medication and psychotherapy.
Morrison and another 16-year-old, Mark Berman, are accused of robbing Encino Savings and Loan at gunpoint on May 23. Morrison has also been charged with the armed robbery of Barclays Bank in Tarzana on Jan. 3.
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