A Yonkers man accused of stabbing his father to death last month will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if his case can proceed.
Rami Ahmed, 32, pleaded not guilty Thursday, Oct. 22, to an indictment charging him with second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the Sept. 28 killing of Hekmat Ahmed in the family's home on Smart Avenue.
Westchester Judge George Fufidio granted defense lawyer Joanna Karlitz request for the psychiatric exam.
"In order to fully evaluate my client in the context of the allegations this is an important first step," Karlitz said after the court appearance.
She declined to discuss any mental health issues Ahmed might have but said she was unaware of any history of violence towards
his father.
If examining doctors determine Ahmed does not understand the charges against him and cannot help in his defense the case would be on hold and he would be transferred from the county jail to a secure psychiatric facility.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers man pleads not guilty in father's killing; psych exam ordered
