Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 28, 2006 Teen sentenced to psychiatric supervision Justin Miles Pina, who attacked his neighbor with a butcher knife, was found to be bipolar and psychotic By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A Medford teenager who attacked his neighbor a year ago must spend 41 years under psychiatric supervision but may soon be released to a secure, local facility. Justin Miles Pina, 18, was sentenced Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court to 41 years under the jurisdiction of Oregon's Psychiatric Security Review Board. Pina was suffering from bipolar disorder with psychosis on Dec. 26, 2005, when he forced his way into the Gilman Road home of 56-year-old Helen Marie Brown and tried to kill her with a butcher knife and rusty garden hoe. "It was his body standing there, but his eyes were totally black, and it didn't look normal at all," Brown told the court. Brown testified Wednesday to a morning of terror that left both her and Pina hospitalized. Brown suffered a concussion and cuts on her head that required 38 staples. Pina was shot by police, who also used a stun gun, when he refused to drop a butcher knife he was brandishing at Brown. He was found guilty but insane in October of attempted murder, first-degree assault, burglary and resisting arrest. "One of the nicest boys" Brown had ever known, Pina had lived next door to her for nine years, during which time he took care of her pets when she was out of town and also helped her with yard work. Brown said she had never heard her young friend use a "cuss word" until the morning he burst through her back door and snarled, "I'm going to (expletive) kill you, bitch." Advertisement Brown told Purdy that she shoved Pina back outside and tried to hold the door closed with her body while calling 9-1-1 on her cell phone. Hearing her speaking to dispatchers, Pina said, "You'll be dead before they get here; no one can save you now," Brown testified. While Brown waited for help, Pina turned his attention to smashing her dining-room window. He then "ripped" the home's front door "off the hinges" although it hadn't opened for years as the result of her older home settling, Brown said. When Pina came at her with the garden hoe, Brown crouched behind a kitchen bar stool to protect herself. "He just started beating me over the head and anywhere else he could," Brown told the court. Brown told Purdy that she recalled being "knocked out" for a short time and coming to as Pina grabbed a butcher knife from her kitchen. When she ran for the open door, he dragged her down by her coat's hood. Medford police officer John Torgerson found Pina in Brown's yard, standing over her with the knife. He shot the teen once in the heart. Pina was shocked with a stun gun before being subdued. He underwent surgery for the gunshot and was hospitalized for a week. A grand jury absolved Torgerson of any wrongdoing in shooting Pina. Listening to Brown's testimony via telephone from the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, Pina apologized. He has since been undergoing treatment and taking medicine for his illness. "This is all blowing my mind," he said. "I obviously wasn't myself." Brown still suffers memory loss and long-term nerve damage to her hands, preventing her from working as a bookkeeper. But lingering psychological effects made being in her own home a frightening experience, she testified. Because the attack took place in Brown's residence, she suffered a different and greater harm than if Pina had confronted her elsewhere, Purdy ruled Wednesday. As a result, the judge imposed two consecutive 20-year sentences in the case. While the judgement doesn't necessarily mean Pina will be in custody for the duration of his sentence, he will "soon" be moved from the state hospital to Hazel Center, a secure psychiatric facility on north Medford's Hazel Street, said his attorney, Michael Kellington. Pina will receive treatment, medication and instruction on managing his illness. Many such offenders eventually are released back into their communities. Brown said she was still "a little nervous" about Pina again being so close by but wanted him to receive the best treatment. She worried the Rogue Valley's resources wouldn't be adequate, adding she would gladly tell her story if it would further the cause of better mental health services. "I can't help but love him even after this because I know he never would have done this to me if he was well," Brown said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com