A 24-year-old man charged with attempted kidnapping will undergo a five-day psychiatric assessment at the Pinel Institute.
Jonathon Gamaz-Arias appeared in court Tuesday for his second appearance after he was arrested Saturday afternoon in an alleged kidnapping attempt at Jeanne-Mance Park.
The crime is punishable by ten years in prison.
The man’s lawyer, Stephen Hanafi, said Gamaz-Arias was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia at Notre Dame Hospital, and also had problems with alcohol.
Gamaz-Arias has no criminal record. On Monday, he appeared barefoot and confused in the courthouse as he pleaded not guilty.
Family and friends of Gamaz-arias gathered at the Montreal courthouse Tuesday to learn of the fate of their friend, who appeared briefly in the courtroom, his face still showing cuts after the girl’s father punched him in the face on Saturday.
Witnesses said Gamaz-Arias took a seven-year-old girl by the arm and tried to lure her away.
The girl's father ran after them and grabbed Gamaz-Arias, punching him in the face until others arrived, including former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque, who was playing softball in the park.
Hanafi told CTV before his client’s court appearance Tuesday that the girl’s father had given the man permission to kick a soccer ball with his daughter just before the incident.
“My client asked permission to the parents to play ball, soccer ball with the young girl and after a moment he started to hear voices and he just started running,” he said.
Hanafi believes his client may not have been prescribed the proper medication.
“I think he was on the wrong dosage or wrong medication,” he said.
Hanafi and the Crown agreed to further psychological evaluation at the Pinel Institute to determine if he is fit for court.
His next court appearance is on June 1.
