EVERETT — An Everett man who was arrested in August after an armed robbery at Alderwood mall has been ordered held at Western State Hospital for 90 days.
Joshua Rockwell, 25, is facing up to
five years in prison after being charged Aug. 31 with first-degree robbery.
Prosecutors say he used a knife to threaten a couple celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary at the mall before running away with the woman’s pocketbook.
Rockwell has lived with paranoid schizophrenia for about five years, his family told The Herald in October.
For years, health professionals have repeatedly warned that Rockwell’s disease could make him impulsive and violent. As his illness tightened its grip, he bounced in and out of jails and Western State Hospital.
Since his arrest in August, his family has been waiting to find out his fate in the system this time.
Last month, a Snohomish County Superior Court judge ordered Rockwell to Western until his next hearing, scheduled for early March.
Rockwell at this time lacks the capacity to assist in his own defense, according to a state-ordered mental health evaluation filed Dec. 2. If hospital staff report a change in Rockwell’s status before his court date, he could be returned to Snohomish County Jail.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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