Disabled Man Accused of Hollywood Murder Ordered to Remain in State Hospital

By City News Service

A Los Angeles judge last week ordered the county to continue caring for an 86-year-old disabled man suspected of fatally shooting a handyman who was fixing a sink in his Hollywood apartment and attempting to kill another man.

Nattie Kennebrew Jr., who was diagnosed with delusional disorder with dementia and is legally blind, has spent the past four years at Patton State Hospital, according to Superior Court Judge Norm Shapiro.

In his ruling to keep Kennebrew in the locked psychiatric hospital, Shapiro agreed with prosecutors who argued that the octogenarian remains a threat to public safety.

The care of Kennebrew was the subject of at least two long court sessions as a result of the Office of the Public Guardian's policy of declining to establish conservatorships for criminal suspects suffering from dementia and other mental illnesses deemed incurable.

A bid to have a probate court order conservatorship also was rejected.

Deputy Dist. Attorney James Falco argued that mental health officials were "arbitrary" in their reasoning for turning Kennebrew away, adding that the county's refusal was irrational and "an abuse of their discretion."

A county lawyer appeared before Shapiro and said the court had no authority to order the guardian to institute a conservatorship for Kennebrew.

But Falco said there was "no law that supports the public guardian's position. This is a public safety issue."

In asking Falco to prepare an order to have the public guardian assume Kennebrew's care, Shapiro said that the prosecutor's position is "reasonable and appropriate."

The defendant, who has been declared unfit for trial, is accused of fatally shooting Gerardo Ramos on Jan. 28, 2009, while Ramos was working in Kennebrew's second-floor apartment in the 7500 block of Fountain Avenue.

In addition to murder, Kennebrew also was charged with one count of assault with a firearm and attempted murder, stemming from an apparent confrontation with building manager Vyktor Arce.

Los Angeles police detective Barry Telis told the court at a previous hearing that Kennebrew had said he "felt threatened" by Ramos and Arce, who the defendant thought were conspiring to steal his Veterans Administration benefits.

Kennebrew shot Ramos several times in the back, then, after hearing the victim "begging for his life," shot him in the head, Telis said in April.

He then put the handgun against Arce's chest and pulled the trigger twice, but the gun was out of bullets, the detective told the court.

Arce testified previously that he is terrified to fall asleep at night and still feels threatened by Kennebrew.