ARSON SUSPECT AWAITS CHARGES FAMILY SHOCKED BY MAN'S APPEARANCE.Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - A man accused of arson had been withdrawn and depressed in the months since losing his job at a restaurant, said family members, who were stunned recently by his unkempt appearance in a courtroom. Antonio Morales, 22, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Newhall Superior Court on at least one count of felony arson stemming from two small fires started July 24 in the Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) was established by executive order on December 20, 1892 as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve. It covers over 2,600 km² (650,000 acres) and is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, just north of the metropolitan area of Los , east of Santa Clarita. The arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted was postponed last week when Morales' court-appointed attorney requested his client undergo a psychiatric evaluation psychiatric evaluation The assessment of a person's mental, social, psychologic functionality. See DSM-IV-table multiaxial assessment, Personality testing, Psychiatric history, Psychiatric interview. before entering a plea. The suspect's aunt and cousin - the only family Morales has in California - plan to return to court Monday for the arraignment. Asked about her nephew's possible involvement in such a serious crime, Morales' aunt fought back tears. ``The way he looks right now, it looks like he's been living on the street,'' said Maria Bahamon, who lives near San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. . ``It really hurt me to see him like that. In my country, he was such a good boy with no problems. He doesn't have anyone here.'' Bahamon said her nephew came by himself to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, when he was 17. He got a job at a restaurant in Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (rĭdŏn`dō), city (1990 pop. 60,167), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1892. Once a commercial port for Los Angeles, it is a residential and resort city with a protected harbor and an excellent marina. , where he worked until he was fired about four months ago, she said. ``He would send money back to his family. He was paying for his sister to go to school to become a teacher,'' she said. ``I spoke to my family and she stopped school when the money did not come anymore.'' Bahamon and her daughter, Rosie Miranda, said they lost contact with Morales about two months ago when he could no longer afford to pay his rent. They did not know where he was until they received a call from the Sheriff's Department. ``He seemed so stressed and looked so tired'' in recent months, Bahamon said. ``I told him I should take him to the doctor, but he said he is fine. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why he didn't call me. It hurts me because he is just a little kid. He worked so hard since he came here.'' Miranda said she doesn't believe that her cousin intentionally started the fires, which were reported after 1 p.m. that Saturday. Each burned about an acre before firefighters put them out. ``To me, he was just wandering'' around the area, Miranda said. ``But to start any fires? No.'' Fire crews responding to the blazes saw Morales running from the scene and detained him until an armed U.S. Department of Forestry officer took the suspect to sheriff's deputies waiting at a fire station in the forest. A search of Morales' backpack netted four bottles of water and a disposable lighter. Amy Raisin Darvish, (661) 257-5254 amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com |
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