Former Cal Poly student Charles Hojaboom will proceed with his criminal proceedings after a judge deemed him competent to stand trial Monday morning.
Hojaboom, along with former Cal Poly student Brandon Pham, was arrested last November for firing a gun outside the Poly Canyon Village (PCV) apartments. They allegedly fired guns on campus at least four times, including the incident at PCV. Pham was sentenced to 210 days in prison on Sept. 18.
Police found the two students in possession of a shotgun, a loaded, concealed pistol and a knife, according to past Mustang News coverage.
The competency trial determines if the defendant understands the trial proceedings and is able to play a role in their defense, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. If a defendant is not competent, they are ordered to attend a competency restoration program during their sentence in California.
Based on these testimonies, the judge concluded Hojaboom is competent to stand trial.
Witnesses Testify About Hojaboom’s Mental State
Hojaboom was analyzed by three expert witnesses, whose testimonies described separate interactions with him after his arrest on Nov. 11, 2023. The three witnesses confirmed Hojaboom is using Abilify, which is an antipsychotic, as well as antidepressants and a sleeping aid.
Each of the witnesses testified that Hojaboom may be experiencing psychosis in some form, but it is too soon to qualify that claim at this time.
The court first called Dr. David Fennell, who had interviewed Hojaboom via Zoom on June 7. After reviewing the case, Fennell said Hojaboom “was able to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings being taken against him.”
Fennell said Hojaboom made a “rather cryptic statement that he felt threatened.” Fennell claimed Hojaboom’s interactions seemed insincere.
“When I beat this case, I’m thinking of stealing a submarine,” Hojaboom said in response to one of Fennell’s questions, leading Fennell to conclude that “his lack of openness and willingness to talk about his fears” would interfere with the attorney-witness relationship.
Despite this analysis, another witness, Patrick Wiita, firmly concluded Hojaboom did not meet any criteria for a psychiatric condition.
He testified Hojaboom lacked a significant mental condition that could bar him from standing trial. Wiita is a child psychiatrist and found that there was no profound mental decline until Dec. 2023, after he got arrested. He said Hojaboom could not “meet diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia.”
The last expert testimony was presented by Caroline Goldsmith, who had evaluated Hojaboom on Aug. 2 at the San Luis Obispo County Jail. She said there is evidence that he has early stages of psychosis.
Goldsmith said she noticed Hojaboom talked to himself, had long pauses before responding to questions and reported signs of paranoia in custody. However, his young age and lack of prior conditions led her to conclude that he may be experiencing provisional schizophrenia, meaning it is unsure if the diagnosis is concrete.
The date for Hojaboom’s criminal trial has not been set.
