Stony Point man charged with murder sent to psychiatric facility; arraignment postponed
NEW CITY — A Stony Point man charged with a murder three years ago ended up Friday in a state psychiatric facility rather than County Court for arraignment on multiple felony counts.
The prosecution and arraignment on the grand jury indictment charges are on hold until Robert Rodriguez's mental health issues are straightened out.
The six charges include second-degree murder, possessing a loaded gun, arson, tampering with evidence, and concealing a human corpse.
Of interest: Stony Point man charged with murder of man found in burning car in 2021: State police
State police arrested Rodriguez on Feb. 9 following a nearly three-year investigation into the death of Ronald Mann, then 36, three years ago on Feb. 16, 2021.
Rodriguez's non-appearance in County Court on Friday morning temporarily confused court personnel, dozens of Mann family and friends, and his attorney.
Instead of taking Rodriguez to court, jail personnel transported Rodriguez to the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center after he had been examined by a jail psychiatrist and medical doctor, Sheriff Louis Falco said.
Jail medical personnel determined Rodriguez had become a risk to himself and others, Falco said. Any medication prescribed might have to be forced on him and the jail was not the appropriate venue for Rodriguez, Falco said.
"Our in-house psychiatrist and doctor felt he would be best treated in Mid-Hudson," Falco said. "He had to be given medication or forced medication. We can't do that at the jail."
Falco said the medical staff signed what's called a 508 order to transport him to the psychiatric facility "based on their professional opinion he needs more services than we can render."
Falco said he didn't know the details of Rodriguez's mental health conditions. Privacy laws also restrained him and other officials from discussing medical issues.
After getting a rundown on Rodriguez's status, Judge Kevin Russo held court.
Prosecutor Michael Dugandzic said he has provided Rodriguez's attorney, Jeffrey Schonbrun, with the required disclosure documents, including Rodriguez's criminal history, and written and video-taped statements from Rodriguez
Russo issued an arrest warrant for Rodriguez, based on what Dugandzic said were the nature of the crime, his extensive criminal history, and his failure to appear in court.
Schonbrun said at this point he had little information on Rodriguez, including his mental health.
The delay added to the anxiety felt by some of the about two dozen family and friends who attended court to bear witness to Rodriguez being arraigned.
A Mann brother, Joseph Thompson of Garnerville, said the family's faith in the court system remains intact despite the delay
"I think at this point my family is not satisfied with the current outcome," Thompson said. "We're confident that the court will prevail,"
No date has been set for Rodriguez to appear before Russo and enter a plea to the charges. Falco said the norm is usually 10 days before a person is fit to appear.
Rockland has two defendants being held in psychiatric facilities for more than a year - Grafton Thomas for a 2019 murder charge and Blanchard Glaudin for a 2020 homicide. Both men have been found to be mentally unfit to help in their own defense.
Troopers responding to a car fire found a body later identified as Mann with a gunshot wound on Feb. 16, 2021, inside a Hyundai Sonata.
State troopers found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames along the southbound lanes near exit 16. Troopers found Mann's body at 2 a.m. that morning, police said
The Rockland County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide, state police said. Police first investigated the death as a car crash.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Stony Point NY man charged with murder sent to psychiatric facility
