AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The attorney representing Steven Aldrich, 66, said an initial competency evaluation report done by Travis County shows Aldrich was "found not to be competent."
"That evaluation came back last Saturday and we filed a modified motion…you can see that I've stated he was found not to be competent," said William H. Russell, who has been representing Aldrich for a decade on various weapons and explosives charges.
Police took Aldrich into custody last week after explosive materials were allegedly found and detonated by law enforcement at a home in south Austin. The home was owned by Aldrich's mother, where he lived, Russell said.
Russell said he spoke to Aldrich for roughly an hour after the arrest last week, and has taken several additional calls from Aldrich since the alleged explosives were found.
"I don't think the intent is to harm anybody, I don't think that's the point. It's a hobby for him," Russell said.
'Completed' explosives, guns and ammunition found
At a news conference last week, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said APD’s bomb squad, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) all arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call about possible explosives.
Davis said the first officers to arrive at the Vintage Stave Road home discovered possible homemade bombs and bomb-making materials. Bomb squad officers realized the amount of explosive material posed a threat to neighbors and temporarily evacuated the surrounding area, Davis said.
According to a federal affidavit filed by ATF Special Agent Daniel Mueller, a search of the home resulted in the discovery of "precursors for explosives, completed explosives, three firearms and 1,195 rounds of ammunition."
Aldrich faces a components of explosives charge and a possession of a firearm by a felon charge, according to court records. The latter is a federal charge.
"I don't want to sit here and say, 'yeah, he's guilty of these charges.' I have not, because it's so new, we haven't gotten to see the evidence. But I will say in the past, that has been -- in my opinion -- the problem. It's an obsession with this," Russell said.
Aldrich's history with explosives, firearms
Aldrich has a history with explosives and firearms, according to court documents, previous KXAN reporting and a federal affidavit.
"On or about November 24, 2018, ATF responded to Aldrich's residence in Leander, Texas, where an accidental explosion occurred while Aldrich was illegally making homemade explosives in possession of explosive destructive devices," an ATF agent wrote in that affidavit.
Suspect in south Austin explosives incident was on parole for related charges: APDAldrich was sentenced to six years in prison in 2019 for a prohibited weapon charge, the document said.
"It's not like you or me where we understand, OK, I've been charged with this crime, I can't have a gun in my house. I think…previously he had a lot of guns in the home, there was a lot, so to remove them all was extremely difficult," his attorney said.
Davis said Aldrich was still on parole related to that conviction, with only two weeks left. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Aldrich was released on parole in August 2022 and had no parole violations.
Russell said he -- and Aldrich's family -- believe Aldrich suffers from serious mental illness, but said Aldrich didn't receive any mental health treatment for his previous offenses.
"This guy has an issue he can't control and it's not like these other people that have a mental break or whatever's going on, this guy has not been there since day one," Russell said.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 'An obsession': Attorney of suspect in south Austin home explosion points to mental illness )
Also on site :
- Man shot by police at Toronto airport
- Teenager killed and three injured in Nantes school stabbing
- Pope Francis’ funeral to stream on YouTube