Would-be California militant is schizophrenic, lawyer says

By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A California man accused of trying to cross into Canada to eventually join the Islamic State militant group has been diagnosed as schizophrenic, his lawyer said Wednesday. Nicholas Teausant, 21, was arrested in March as he allegedly headed to the border in hopes of joining Islamic State, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria and has claimed responsibility for beheading Western hostages. "We informed the court that we had a doubt about his ability to understand the nature of the proceeding against him," Assistant Federal Defender Benjamin Galloway said Wednesday. At a hearing in federal court in Sacramento on Tuesday, Galloway requested a formal competency evaluation for Teausant. The evaluation was not opposed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean Hobler, and if approved by the court is expected to be conducted this winter. On Wednesday, Galloway said he had received a report commissioned by the Federal Public Defender's office on Teausant's mental health, which diagnosed him with schizophrenia. Prosecutors contend Teausant said he wanted to join Islamic State to fight in the Syrian civil war on the side of radical Sunni Muslim fighters against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has killed thousands and beheaded a number of American and British captives. U.S. forces began bombarding Islamic State targets in August. "I'm going to be a commander and I'm going to be on the front of every single newspaper in the country," the criminal complaint quoted Teausant as telling a paid FBI informant in February. "Like I want my face on FBI's top 12 most wanted. Because that means I'm doing something right." Teausant, who is from the California city of Lodi, also spoke of wanting to target the subway system in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, according to the complaint. He is due back in court for a status conference on Feb. 24, Galloway said. Teausant faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if he is convicted. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Jim Loney)