The man arrested after an entire Little Italy apartment complex was flooded was found not competent to proceed with his criminal case Tuesday.
Francisco Morales is accused of turning on a fire hose and flooding the Eighteen Ten State St. apartment complex in February.
When he was first arraigned on charges, the 37-year-old defendant denied that he had mental health issues after his attorney said his family suggested he might.
Following the outcome of his competency hearing, Morales was placed in Patton State Hospital and will begin the Jail Based Competency Treatment program, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
Video of the damage at the apartment complex, located near the corner of State Street and Elm Street, showed collections of waist-high water in some areas.
Water also covered the floor of the parking area underneath the building. Some hallways were seen with pooling water that rose to the middle of resident’s shoes, while another hallway was seen with several feet of water.
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Morales was charged with 45 counts of vandalism and eight counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, according to court documents. The vandalism charges account for instances where the damages exceeded $400.
The total damage was estimated to cost $800,000 to $1 million, according to prosecutors.
