A judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation of an 18-year-old accused of sexually assaulting and robbing a woman on a jogging path near the Morristown/Morris Township border in May.
Lizandro Osorio-Mejia’s lawyer, Gracia Montilus, raised concerns on Tuesday about his client’s competency to stand trial. He did not share details during a brief hearing in Morristown.
Superior Court Judge Noah Franzblau agreed to issue the order after Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Catherine LaQuaglia indicated she had no objections. The judge scheduled an update session next month.
Osorio-Mejia, of Morristown, faces multiple charges stemming from the alleged sexual assault and robbery of a 57-year-old woman on the popular Traction Line trail, in the middle of the afternoon on May 3, 2022. He was 18 at the time.
Authorities say he threatened the victim with a rock, slapped her, and demanded money. When that failed and he forced the victim to perform a sex act, she bit him and he fled, according to authorities.
A 17-year-old male who allegedly served as Osorio-Mejia’s lookout also faces charges as a juvenile. Both were arrested three days after the alleged attack, after authorities released identifying information.
The prosecution previously offered Osorio-Mejia 10 years in prison without parole in exchange for a guilty plea. Montilus, a private attorney from South Orange who has taken the case from the Morris County Public Defender’s Office, said he’s reviewing the status of that offer.
Back in June, LaQuaglia told the judge she has extensive police bodycam footage from the investigation.
Clad in an orange prison jumpsuit, handcuffed, and wearing a white COVID mask, Osorio-Mejia listened quietly, his head bowed, in court on Tuesday. An earphone gave him the Spanish translation from an interpreter standing close by.
Noting a backlog at the state’s Ann Klein Forensic Center, the judge asserted it could be some time before an evaluation can be completed.
