BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Admitted pedophile kept...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Admitted pedophile kept in hospital

A Superior Court Judge on Thursday declined to release an admitted

pedophile who had 30 counts of child molestation dismissed on Sept.

23.

Cary Jay Smith, 42, was ordered to get psychiatric evaluation for

72-hours, but that time was extended to two weeks after doctors

determined he needed to spend more time at the hospital.

Smith was put in a state psychiatric hospital after writing a

letter fantasizing about a Costa Mesa boy four years ago. Earlier

this year, the district attorney charged Smith with performing lewd

acts on a different Costa Mesa child between September 1996 and March

1997.

But an Orange County Superior Court judge dismissed all charges

against Smith at the request of Deputy District Atty. Beth Costello.

The prosecutor said she had no choice because the victim was 14, not

13, when the incidents occurred and the shorter statute of

limitations had run out.

Smith is expected to spend one more week at the hospital, after

which doctors will determine if he will go back to the state hospital

for six more months or be released.

-- Deepa Bharath

Escapee charged with felonies

A 41-year-old Newport Beach man arrested Tuesday afternoon after

he had escaped from an Orange County jail earlier that day has been

charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor, officials said.

Mark Thomas Georgantas was arraigned Thursday afternoon at Harbor

Justice Center and charged with one felony count each of escape,

unlawful taking of a vehicle and evading officials while driving

recklessly, Deputy. Dist. Atty. Susan Schroeder said. He was also

charged with one count of misdemeanor hit-and-run, she said.

Another inmate, 24-year-old James William Costilow of Riverside,

who escaped with Georgantas, remains at large. A warrant has been

issued for his arrest, Schroeder said.

If convicted, Georgantas faces four years and four months in

prison as well as a state prison sentence for violating probation on

a prior felony.

-- Deepa Bharath