Mental exam ordered for alleged telescope attacker
Mental exam ordered for alleged telescope attacker
HILO — A Hilo District Court judge on Friday ordered a mental health examination for a Kailua-Kona man alleged to have rammed a telescope facility with his truck this week on Mauna Kea.
Attorney Brian De Lima, representing suspect James Coleman, said his client might be delusional or schizophrenic.
Coleman, 30, was quiet and kept his head down during the hearing and while being led back to the cellblock.
A telescope technician working at the Very Long Baseline Array said Coleman followed a co-worker to the radio telescope Tuesday and used his truck to drive through a gate and ram a small office building three times.
He allegedly spent the next 45 minutes trying to break down a door from inside a foyer and attempted to ram an Office of Mauna Kea Management ranger’s truck. Two employees, who were not injured except for some bruising, used office furniture to barricade themselves inside.
The antenna wasn’t damaged, according to VLBA.
Coleman is charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal property damage, attempted first-degree criminal property damage, two counts of second-degree criminal property damage and two counts of second-degree terroristic threatening. His bail was set at $84,000.
Judge Lloyd Van De Car said Coleman won’t be eligible for release until the examination is complete.
He is scheduled to appear next on April 21 in South Kohala District Court.