SANTA PAULA : Suspect in Slaying Faces Stay in Patton

A 23-year-old transient accused of killing a Santa Paula ranch foreman will be placed in Patton State Hospital until he is found mentally competent to stand trial, a judge ruled Friday.

Superior Court Judge Lawrence Storch followed the recommendation of the county mental health department in sending Jose Luis Gonzalez to Patton. Last month Storch found that Gonzalez was incompetent to stand trial after two doctors concluded he is severely mentally ill.

Gonzalez is charged with murder in the May 14 death of Rosario De la Cruz, 47, who was shot four times in the chest as he stood in his Santa Paula residence. Attorneys said De la Cruz told his wife just before he died that it was Gonzalez, a longtime family friend, who shot him.

Officials said they are unsure of the motive for the slaying.

Storch ordered Patton officials to prepare periodic reports for the court on Gonzalez’s competency status.

Deputy Dist. Atty. James D. Ellison said Gonzalez must be returned to the court in 18 months for a review if his competency has not been restored by then. Also, Gonzalez may not be incarcerated at Patton for more than three years in an effort to restore his competency, the prosecutor said.

If Gonzalez is still deemed mentally incompetent in three years, other legal steps must be taken to keep him in custody, Ellison said.