On Wednesday, 30-year-old Dyllan Hopkins entered a not guilty plea in court for the attempted murder of Tim Smith.
The city electrician was critically injured after police say Hopkins walked up behind him in Fresno's Chinatown last month, and hit him in the head with a heavy object.
Family members say Hopkins suffers from manic bipolar disorder with schizophrenic tendencies.
His next court date is set for July 7.
If found guilty, he faces a sentence of 12 years to life in prison.