NORTH HOLLYWOOD : Man Judged Unable to Stand Trial
A 31-year-old Pasadena man accused of locking his girlfriend’s father in a car trunk for 12 hours, killing him, then driving the body around for four days, was found incompetent to stand trial Wednesday.
Anthony E. West was ordered confined to a state mental hospital until he is able to understand the charges against him.
Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Sandy Kriegler ordered state officials to notify the court if West’s mental condition improves enough so that he can be tried.
Police say West admitted locking 90-year-old Louie Molduf in his car trunk Sept. 14, after the victim threatened to tell police that West had forged $25,000 worth of checks written on Molduf’s account.
West, who was dating Molduf’s 45-year-old daughter, Diane, dumped the body Sept. 18 in a parking lot at Toluca Lake Elementary School in North Hollywood, police said.
If convicted of murder, West could be sentenced to death, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jay A. Lipman said.
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