Criminal case against handyman who gunned down L.A. bishop paused amid mental health concerns

Criminal proceedings against a handyman who prosecutors say fatally shot a beloved L.A. bishop last year were suspended Thursday after attorneys raised doubts about his competence to stand trial.

Carlos Medina, 61, was charged with murder in February 2023 for allegedly gunning down Bishop David G. O’Connell, 69, at his Hacienda Heights home. Medina was arrested the next day in Torrance, and law enforcement sources previously told The Times that he confessed to the killing.

A motive in the homicide has remained unclear for more than 18 months. Medina’s wife worked for O’Connell as a housekeeper, and authorities said last year that the 61-year-old gave detectives several reasons for the shooting, but “none of them made sense to the investigators,” according to L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Michael Modica.

O’Connell’s friends and parishioners had hoped Thursday’s preliminary hearing — usually the first time prosecutors have to present significant evidence in a case in open court — would provide some motive for the out-of-nowhere shooting. But L.A. County Deputy Public Defender Pedro Cortes told the court he had doubts about Medina’s ability to aid in his own defense.

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Cortes said concerns about Medina’s mental health were based on interactions with the defendant going back to the time of his arrest, observations of his behavior in jail and the opinions of an independent medical expert.

“The defense team has been diligently working to thoroughly investigate the events that transpired, including all contributing factors, such as Mr. Medina’s mental health, to ensure a comprehensive and fair representation of the facts,” Cortes and his co-counsel, Deputy Public Defender Jessica Arteaga, said in a statement.

L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Hilary Williams said the defense team informed her of their concerns about Medina only moments before the hearing and had not independently verified any issues.

Medina is due back in the Hollywood Mental Health Court on Oct. 31. If found competent and convicted of murder, he could face 35 years to life in prison.