Mental Competency Doubted In Man Charged In Beverly Hills Antisemitic Attack: DA

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The mental competency is in doubt of a man accused of attacking a Jewish couple in Beverly Hills Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Jarris Jay Silagi, 44, was charged Tuesday in connection with a Saturday incident in which he's accused of approaching a Jewish couple in their 70s, making antisemitic comments, attempting the rob the woman and attacking the man with a belt. The couple were on their way to temple to celebrate Shabbat and the man was wearing a yarmulke when Silagi struck him on the head, authorities said at a news conference.

Silagi has been charged with elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury and attempted robbery. The charges include special allegations of a hate crime and inflicting great bodily injury, Gascón said.

Silagi's attorney entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client Tuesday because Silagi refused to leave his jail cell, ABC 7 reported.

Silagi's attorney initiated a process to determine his client's mental competency; criminal proceedings have been suspected pending an evaluation of Silagi, Deputy District Attorney Paul Kim said.

"He's not sure his client is aware of the charges against him," Kim said.

Prosecutors are recommending that Silagi be held on a $1.3 million bail, Gascón said.

Silagi is homeless, Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook said.

Gascón also announced charges against Klinton Allister Dion, 32.

Dion is accused of spraypainting antisemitic graffiti on a Burbank synagogue and business in Burbank and Glendale. He faces 12 felony hate-crime counts: two counts of vandalism of religious property and 10 counts of hate crime, displaying a Nazi symbol/etc., on public and private property, Gascón said.

Authorities have been unable to locate Dion; a judge has issued a bench warrant for his arrest, Gascón said.

The graffiti included swastikas, an iron cross and a Nazi symbol, police said.

Prosecutors recommended that Dion be held on $650,000 bail; the court set bail at $65,000, Gascón said.

"We will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases. Our nation is facing a crisis of hate crimes and these cases are symptoms of that," Gascón said.