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State seeks to medicate ‘delusional’ man

WAILUKU – The state is seeking a court order to medicate a man who is refusing to take his psychiatric medication after being committed to the Hawaii State Hospital for a random and unprovoked stabbing in a Queen Ka’ahumanu Center bathroom two years ago.

Adam Mendoza, 23, of Makawao was acquitted by reason of insanity of a first-degree assault charge last April and was committed to the Kaneohe hospital for mental health treatment.

In 2nd Circuit Court on Friday, Deputy Public Defender William “Pili” McGrath said Mendoza “will not agree to be medicated.”

McGrath asked for an evidentiary hearing, set for Wednesday morning before Judge Rhonda Loo.

Mendoza, who is known to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, was charged in the May 20, 2011, attack on 21-year-old Timothy Heauser-Caires of Makawao. Heauser-Caires suffered a collapsed left lung and was hospitalized for 13 days after being stabbed in the second-floor bathroom near Macy’s at the shopping center.

In court Friday, Deputy Attorney General Dudley Akama asked for the order allowing involuntary medication of Mendoza, saying he was a flight risk.

“There’s an urgency to this request,” Akama said. “He already tried to escape by pushing against the door and trying to get out of his unit.

“He’s extremely delusional. He’s paranoid. He thinks the police are out to kill him. This man needs meds badly.”

McGrath said Mendoza was in a locked forensic ward. “He will still wish to escape once he’s medicated, but they’re not going to let him,” McGrath said.

For the hearing Friday, Mendoza and the psychiatrist treating him appeared by videoconference from the State Hospital.

Mendoza asked if other arrangements could be made for Wednesday’s hearing.

“I would like to request that I show up in person for the court date if that’s all right,” he said. “It’s very hard for me to see and interact with the courtroom this far away.”

McGrath said the same videoconferencing arrangements would work for Wednesday’s hearing.

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