A Westmoreland County judge has ruled that a Derry Township man charged with killing a family pet was incompetent to stand trial and ordered him into mental health treatment.
Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II said that 27-year-old Tyler Rost-Maiolie was mentally unable to assist in his own defense. He is charged in connection with an incident in April where he reportedly fired multiple shots into the air. He also allegedly confessed to shooting and killing a family cat and burning its remains. He was scheduled to plead guilty during a hearing yesterday, but the judge’s ruling puts that on an indefinite hold.
Rost-Maiolie has been in jail since his arrest on $50,000. He faces two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, and misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and cruelty to animals. Judge Stewart ordered Rost-Maiolie to be transferred to Torrance State Hospital for treatment. Another evaluation will be held in three months.
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