Dover man accused of killing man competent to stand trial, judge rules

A state Superior Court judge in Morris County ruled this month that a Dover man accused of killing an acquaintance with a tree branch during an argument in 2020 is mentally competent to stand trial.

José Elizondo-Mena, 53, fled after his purported transgression to Michigan for three months before he was apprehended and charged with manslaughter in the death of Carlos Rodas-Ramos, 53, also of Dover. A witness told police on the evening of May 29, 2020, he was with the men in a wooded area in the town at the end of Monmouth Avenue when he saw Elizondo-Mena strike Rodas-Ramos several times with a branch during an argument, police records show.

Rodas-Ramos' body was found partially decomposed a week later after another witness reported to police he believed a dead body was in the woods, records show. A medical examiner ruled Rodas-Ramos' cause of death as homicide due to blunt force trauma to his head and face.

Elizondo-Mena's case has been on hold for several years after defense attorneys raised concerns over the man's psychiatric history and whether or not that had played a factor during the killing. Competency issues, or concerns the man lacked the capacity to understand the criminal charges against him or was unable assist in his defense, had not been raised until recently.

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Elizondo-Mena has a considerable deal of anxiety, fear and shame surrounding the alleged crime which has caused him to act out in a "chaotic manner," yet it does not preclude him from being able to stand trial, said Dr. Pogos Voskanian, a forensic psychiatrist who contracts with Ann Klein Forensic Center, a psychiatric hospital in Trenton.

Elizondo-Mena had reported over several months seeing disturbing stimuli such as ghosts, snakes and other people that others could not observe, which would usually take place before he went to sleep. He has been receiving treatment at the psychiatric facility and is under the care of Voskanian, who appeared before Judge Noah Franzblau on March 15 when he testified there could be several reasons for the Dover resident's unusual behaviors, none of which hinders his ability to move forward with his case.

Elizondo-Mena has no criminal history and his arrest proved "quite stressful" for someone with no experience with the legal system, which the doctor opined could have caused Elizondo-Mena to go into a "complex, confused mental state" while in jail.

"In this case, I think for Mr. [Elizondo] Mena, it was extremely stressful to find out the consequences of his behavior and that by itself can cause certain symptomatology," said the doctor, referring to Elizondo-Mena's sudden and unusual symptoms.

Voskarian further explained that he has examined many individuals who had allegedly committed atrocious crimes and everyone reacted to their actions differently: some did not care and would do it all over again and others could exhibit extreme fear and stress, such as Elizondo-Mena, he said.

A CT scan of Elizondo-Mena's brain showed a shrinking of his brain tissue, which Voskanian attributed to possible hypertension and the man's admissions he was a long-time drinker of alcohol. The scan, however, "does not make it possible to estimate the level of functioning of a human being," the doctor testified, and could not be used to determine competency. But it was possible Elizondo-Mena's heavy alcohol use over the years could have contributed to his disturbances, the doctor opined.

While Elizondo-Mena's behaviors may be attributed to his stress and alcohol use, finding a defendant competent to stand trial does not have to do with their psychiatric diagnosis but rather cognition, or ability to understand what is going on around them, the doctor said.

Defense attorney Balin Baidwan argued that the doctor admitted he was unsure in October 2022 if Elizondo-Mena was competent to stand trial and was "quick" to change his mind when he did a second evaluation earlier this year. his client, he said. He did not find the doctor to be credible and asked the judge to allow another doctor to evaluate his client.

Franzblau, in response, said that the doctor had incomplete information in October that, by default, left him unable to opine Elizondo-Mena was actually competent at the time. He found the doctor credible and the request for another doctor to perform an evaluation would "suggest Dr. Voskanian has some ulterior motive, which I just don't find to be true."

Elizondo-Mena backed out of a plea deal in July 2021 for a five-year state prison sentence after his then-attorney announced she would seek a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, which sparked questions about Elizondo-Mena's possible mental state during and after the purported crime.

Elizondo-Mena's case will now move toward trial with a date yet to be determined.

Lori Comstock can be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Dover NJ death: Man accused of homicide ruled competent