Competency hearing for second student involved in PCV shooting

Former Cal Poly student Charles Hojaboom will continue his criminal trial after a judge found him competent to stand trial Monday morning.

Hojaboom was arrested along with former Cal Poly student Brandon Pham last November for firing a gun outside the Poly Canyon Village (PCV) apartments. They are said to have fired weapons on campus at least four times, including in the incident at PCV. Pham was sentenced on September 18 to 210 days in prison.

According to previous reporting from Mustang News, police determined the two students were in possession of a shotgun, a loaded, concealed handgun and a knife.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the competency process determines whether the defendant understands the process and is able to play a role in his or her defense. If a defendant is incompetent, he or she will be ordered to participate in a competency restoration program during his prison sentence in California.

Based on these statements, the judge concluded that Hojaboom was competent to stand trial.

Witnesses testify about Hojaboom's mental state

Hojaboom was analyzed by three expert witnesses, whose testimony described various interactions with him after his arrest on November 11, 2023. The three witnesses confirmed that Hojaboom was taking Abilify, an antipsychotic, as well as antidepressants and a sleeping pill.

Each of the witnesses testified that Hojaboom may be suffering from some form of psychosis, but it is too early to qualify that claim at this point.

The court first called Dr. David Fennell, who interviewed Hojaboom via Zoom on June 7th. After reviewing the case, Fennell said Hojaboom was “able to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings brought against him.”

Fennell said Hojaboom made a “pretty cryptic statement about feeling threatened.” Fennell claimed Hojaboom's interactions seemed insincere.

“If I win this case, I'll think about stealing a submarine,” Hojaboom said in response to one of Fennell's questions, which led Fennell to conclude that “his lack of openness and willingness to talk about his fears” , the lawyer would hinder -witness relationship.

Despite this analysis, another witness, Patrick Wiita, firmly concluded that Hojaboom did not meet criteria for psychiatric illness.

He testified that Hojaboom lacked a significant mental health condition that could disqualify him from standing trial. Wiita is a child psychiatrist and found that there was no profound mental decline until December 2023, after his arrest. He said Hojaboom “fails to meet the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia.”

The final expert testimony was presented by Caroline Goldsmith, who evaluated Hojaboom on Aug. 2 at the San Luis Obispo County Jail. She said there was evidence he had early stages of psychosis.

Goldsmith said she noticed Hojaboom talking to himself, taking long pauses before answering questions, and that he reported signs of paranoia while in custody. However, due to his young age and lack of pre-existing medical conditions, she concluded that he may be suffering from transient schizophrenia, meaning it is not certain whether the diagnosis is concrete.

The date for the criminal trial against Hojaboom has not yet been set.