Man accused of fatal, unprovoked stabbing of Laguna Beach doctor found competent to stand trial
A Long Beach man accused of killing a Laguna Beach doctor he had no prior connection to in Dana Point two years ago appeared in court Friday after a judge ruled him competent to stand trial in December.
Vanroy Evan Smith was accused of striking Michael Mammone with a white Lexus while the Providence Mission Hospital emergency physician was riding his bicycle and then stabbing him to death on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. The defendant faces one count of murder as well as potential sentencing enhancements for the alleged use a deadly weapon and lying in wait for his victim.
The latter allegation was the basis for Orange County Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Walker’s request to revoke Smith’s option to post a $1-million bail. Judge Derek Johnson, obligated to make such decisions based on the assumption of guilt, granted her motion during a hearing at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.
On Friday, Walker noted that Smith had told officials he intended to kill someone the day he was arrested. She also claimed he parked his car after hitting Mammone and then ran to him, convincing bystanders the defendant was coming to the cyclist’s aid before attacking him.
The Orange County Public Defender’s attorney representing Smith, Kevin Song, said although the prosecution’s outline of events was broadly factual, it was framed in an “emotional and inflammatory way.” He took issue with the suggestion that “my client intentionally hid himself to find the perfect time to commit the act,” noting it occurred in broad daylight.
Questions raised by Smith’s defense regarding his mental health shortly after his arrest led to a pause in proceedings. He had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In interviews with the Los Angeles Times, relatives described a 2020 episode involving a fight with a friend that led Smith to be involuntarily hospitalized on what’s commonly known as a “5150 hold.”
After almost two years of evaluation by mental health experts, the defendant was found fit to stand trial during a restoration of competency hearing on Dec. 18. His next scheduled court date is March 20.
Michelle de Werd traveled to Orange County from the Santa Ynez Valley and, along with the victim’s other older sister, Lisa Mammone, was present at Friday’s hearing. They said many questions have gone unanswered in the two years since their brother’s death.
Mammone’s sisters described him as a caring soul who made it his life’s work to help others. Hundreds attended a ceremony held in his honor on the grounds of the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach.
“He was the baby of the family,” de Werd told the Daily Pilot outside of the courtroom Friday morning. “... Michael would be here for us. We’re gonna be here for him.”
Mammone’s sisters said they were relieved to see the case move forward and by Johnson’s decision to revoke Smith’s bail.
“He would have taken care of that monster,” de Werd said. “He was just a good guy. He didn’t deserve this.”
Song declined to provide additional comment on the case to the Daily Pilot Friday.
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