VENTURA : Arson Suspect Ruled Competent for Trial
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A Ventura County Superior Court trial was expected to begin today for a Santa Barbara man accused of setting a string of fires in Ventura last October.
On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Charles R. McGrath ruled that Ronald K. Sneed, 48, was competent to stand trial on charges stemming from his arrest last October on suspicion of setting eight fires downtown.
Sneed, a Santa Barbara resident who formerly lived in Oxnard, has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of arson stemming from the fires, one of which caused $240,000 damage to an American Red Cross office on East Santa Clara Steet.
In an unusual turn of events last week, Sneed joined with the prosecutor, Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard E. Simon, to convince a jury that he was able to stand trial, although Sneed’s court-appointed defense attorney wanted the jury to find Sneed incompetent.
On Friday, the jury deadlocked on whether Sneed was competent to stand trial. McGrath then dismissed the jury, which was deadlocked 10 to 2 in favor of competency.
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