A caretaker for an 83-year-old woman who was found dead in her South Bay home has been committed to a state mental hospital after a judge found she was mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Criminal proceedings were suspended for Maria Moore, 70, by San Diego Superior Court Judge Fred Maguire who committed her to Patton State Hospital for treatment.
Moore is accused of murder in the Dec. 6, 2010, death of Charmian Therese Antaramian, who was found dead from some type of trauma in her Citrus Avenue home. San Diego police found her body on Dec. 9 after a relative called and asked police to check on her welfare.
In his order, Maguire ruled that Moore lacks the capacity to decide on whether to take antipsychotic medication, which is required for her apparent mental illness. The order authorizes involuntary administration of psychiatric medications.
Moore’s attorney first asked Chula Vista Superior Court Judge David Rubin on Dec. 13 to suspend criminal proceedings as she thought Moore could not understand her rights or court procedures. Rubin did suspend proceedings and referred her case to Maguire. If Moore regains her mental competency, she will be returned to San Diego to face trial.
