♪ THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT
5 GETTING RESULTS.
>> MATT: WELL, YOU’VE SEEN
THIS PERSON BEFORE, PROBABLY
AN ORLANDO MAN ARRESTED 7
TIMES IN 7 YEARS HAS BEEN
FOUND COMPETENT TO STAND
TRIAL. THIS TIME IN THE PAST,
THOUGH, ARMANDO MONTALVO HAS
BEEN FOUND NOT COMPETENT TO
STAND TRIAL IN ALL 6 OF HIS
ARREST IN ORANGE COUNTY, WHICH
PROMPTED US.
>> TO TRY TO LOOK FOR SOME
SOLUTIONS EARLIER THIS WEEK,
THE OSCEOLA COUNTY SHERIFF’S
OFFICE SAYS KEVIN TORRES
KILLED 3 PEOPLE AND THEY SAY
HE HAS A HISTORY OF MENTAL
ILLNESS. NOW THE
ORANGE-OSCEOLA STATE ATTORNEY
SAYS MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS A
LONGSTANDING PROBLEM. NEWS 6
INVESTIGATOR LOUIS BOLDEN US
IN STUDIO. TONIGHT’S LEWIS.
SHE SAYS SHE’S IMPLEMENTING
SYSTEMS TO TRY TO DEAL WITH
THIS. THAT’S RIGHT. IN THAT
NEW 6 TOLD YOU THIS WAS A
PROBLEM 2 WEEKS AGO AND NOW
STATE ATTORNEY MONIQUE WORRELL
IS WEIGHING IN.
>> TO BE CLEAR, SHE WOULD NOT
COMMENT ABOUT TORRES. THIS
CASE. BUT ACCORDING TO COURT
RECORDS RECORDS, KEVIN TORRES
HAS BEEN ARRESTED DOZENS OF
TIMES AND AT LEAST 2 CASES IN
THE LAST 4 YEARS. A COURT
DEEMED HIM INCOMPETENT TO
STAND TRIAL. NOW HE IS CHARGED
WITH THE TRIPLE MURDER. THESE
CASES ARE FRUSTRATING TO
VICTIMS. LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS AND THE STATE
ATTORNEY.
>> OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
CAN NOT ADDRESS MENTAL ILLNESS
IS NOT BE QUIET.
>> TO ADDRESS MENTAL ILLNESS.
I WILL AND FAITHFULLY ONE
POINT WHEN MONIQUE WORRELL WAS
SWORN INTO OFFICE, SHE SAYS
ONE OF THE FIRST PROBLEMS
BROUGHT TO HER ATTENTION WAS
THE BACKLOG OF CRIMINAL CASES
INVOLVING DEFENDANTS WITH
MENTAL ILLNESSES AND
COMPETENCY TO STAND TRIAL.
EVEN A SCROLL THROUGH THE
CLICK. ORLANDO DOT COM ARCHIVE
SHOWS HOW OFTEN IT HAPPENS. IS
THE SYSTEM WORKING AS IT SO
THE ANSWERS IN IN SHORT IS NO.
IT’S NOT UNUSUAL FOR AN
INDIVIDUAL TO COME INTO THE
SYSTEM AND THEY HAVE SEVERAL
DIFFERENT CASES IN SEVERAL
DIFFERENT COURTROOMS BEING
HANDLED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT.
>> ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY.
SO SOMEONE MAY HAVE BEEN
DEEMED INCOMPETENT IN WHAT
COURTROOM.
>> BUT NOT IN TAKE. 35
YEAR-OLD ARMANDO MONTALVO WE
TOLD YOU ABOUT HIM 2 WEEKS
AGO.
>> HE LIVE STREAMED HIMSELF
RUNNING FROM DEPUTIES WITH THE
ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
IN JUNE OF 2020 BEFORE BEING
ARRESTED. WE’LL TAKE IT AND
THEN WE’LL GO TO JAIL FOR
MONTHS. ALTHOUGH WENT TO JAIL.
IT WAS HIS 7TH THE REST IN 7
YEARS. AND IN EVERY CASE PRIOR
DOCTORS FOUND HE WAS
INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL AND
HE WAS RELEASED ACCORDING TO
COURT RECORDS. SOMETIMES THOSE
DOCTORS WILL TELL THIS PERSON
IS OR IS NOT A DANGER TO THE
COMMUNITY.
>> TYPICALLY THEY’RE NOT TO
THE COMMUNITY AND THEY’RE
INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL. WE
HAVE NO TO DETAIN THEM.
>> OR KEEP THEM IN CUSTODY TO
ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WE’RE L
HAS CREATED A MENTAL HEALTH
UNIT WITHIN THE STATE
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AND HIGHER
JOANNA SANDSTROM AS ITS
DIRECTOR SANDSTROM STARTED IN
OFFICE LAST MONTH AND WILL
OVERSEE ALL CASES WITH
DEFENDANTS WITH A HISTORY OF
MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE FEW
WEEKS THAT SHE’S BEEN HERE.
>> THE ATTORNEYS HAVE BEEN
CONSTANTLY CALLING UPON HER TO
WEIGH IN ON PARTICULAR
SITUATIONS, DEALING WITH
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEALING
WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WILL
REAL SAYS IT IS THE FIRST STEP
IN TACKLING AN ONGOING
PROBLEM. I WILL MAKE WITH EVER
VISIONS ARE NECESSARY WITHIN
MY TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN
PROGRAMS TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT
ARE WAY TO HELP. ADDRESS THE
NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL SUFFERING
FROM MENTAL.
>> MORRELL SAYS WHEN THE COURT
FINDS SOMEONE INCOMPETENT TO
STAND TRIAL, THE COURT
BASICALLY CONTINUES THE CASE.
THEY KEEP CHECKING IN WITH THE
DEFENDANT TO SEE IF THE
SITUATION HAS CHANGED. AND
THAT’S WHAT CREATES THE
BACKLOG IN CASES. SO YOU GUYS,
IT IS A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
ABSOLUTELY. SO JUST SO I’M
CLEAR IF SOMEONE IS DEEMED
INCOMPETENT, THEY ARE THEN
JUST RELEASED. NO, NO,
>> IF A JUDGE DECLARES THAT
AND THEY THINK THAT THEY ARE
DANGEROUS TO THE COMMUNITY,
THEY WILL HOLD THEM. BUT
SOMETIMES THEY DON’T DECLARE
THEM A DANGER TO THE
COMMUNITY. AND THAT’S WHEN
THEY ARE RELEASED AND THEN
THEY CHECK IN TO SEE WHERE
THEY HAVE AND WHAT’S HAPPENING
NOW. CERTAINLY NOT WORKING.