Shelley Levy is charged with arson, but before she could enter a plea, her attorney called her mental competency into question.
Lives are in shambles at the Griffith Garden apartment complex. Police tape still covers half of the complex. Some of the displaced families have moved into empty new apartments. Others have just left. They're all angry at the former neighbor accused of starting the fire.
But after just five minutes with the defendant, her attorney started to doubt her mental state.
Shelley Levy's attorney expected to enter a not guilty plea during her first court appearance Thursday. After talking with her for just a short time, he changed his mind.
"I just felt that she was not there," said Curtis Sok, who was assigned as Levy's defense attorney Thursday morning. "It's like she was not here today."
We're not allowed to show Levy in her jail uniform in court, but she clearly interrupted the proceedings with her mumbling to the point that Judge Jonathan Conklin had to intervene.
"Ms. Levy, I'll need you to remain quiet for just a minute," he said as her hearing took place.
Levy's attorney said he doubted her mental competency and Judge Conklin suspended criminal proceedings.
Sheriff's deputies planned to evict Levy from her apartment complex on the day she's accused of burning the place down. Her former neighbors are now trying to piece their lives back together -- in many cases, starting from scratch.
"Mine was one down from hers, so mine was like everything," said a neighbor named Imelda. "Everything. All my stuff gone. We don't have nothing."
Imelda moved into another apartment in the complex. So far, she's filled it with a few pieces of furniture from friends and a few bags of donated clothes. Her baby sleeps in a car seat in an empty bedroom. She says Levy will face more than just a prosecutor when and if she goes on trial. "It's like 27 apartments against one [person], you know," she said.
Here's one more example of how intense the fire was: this fire extinguisher was obviously useless against the flames.
Levy will see two psychiatrists before a judge decides if she should go forward with criminal proceedings, or go to a mental facility.
