San Diego

A psychiatric evaluation was ordered Thursday for a man who allegedly shot three people at a downtown San Diego intersection.

A judge ordered psychiatrists to evaluate Rolando Ignacio, 25, of Encanto after his attorney, Roger Spaulding, said in court that he doubted that Ignacio is mentally competent to stand trial.

A psychiatric evaluation will be conducted Thursday, and the results will be revealed Jan. 6 in San Diego Superior Court.

Robert Mengar, 59, and his fiancee, Cynthia Conyiers, 37, were leaving a Lions Club luncheon Nov. 22 when both were gunned down for no apparent reason. Susan Snyder, 29, the owner of a Gaslamp Quarter art gallery, was also wounded. Mengar and Snyder were each shot in the leg, and Conyiers was wounded in the left calf, thigh, wrist and buttocks.

Ignacio is charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He is being held in County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

San Diego Municipal Judge H. Ronald Domnitz suspended the criminal proceedings based on the attorney’s motion. Thursday was to be Ignacio’s preliminary hearing.

“I don’t think he’s in good enough shape to participate in the proceedings,” Spaulding told a reporter. “I think he can understand some of it.”

If found mentally incompetent by a judge, Ignacio could be remanded to a state mental hospital until he were considered recovered. Spaulding said Ignacio has a history of psychiatric treatment.