OAKLAND — A man charged joining another man to beat their victim to death with a mallet and a bicycle may not be mentally competent for trial, according to court records.
In a late September hearing, the attorney for Michael Perillo, 45, openly declared a doubt to Perillo’s mental competency, kicking off a process that requires doctors evaluate Perillo and send their report to a judge. If he’s found mentally incompetent it could add months or even years to the legal process.
For now, the case is in legal limbo.
Perillo was charged last September with murdering Edson Perez during in an Aug. 30 attack on the 300 block of 8th Avenue in Oakland. Police believe one of the suspects was angry at Perez having a tryst with the suspect’s girlfriend.
Police identified the man they believe joined Perillo in the attack, but it was too late to prosecute him; he was killed in a motorcycle crash within a week of the homicide, authorities said.
Perillo’s public defender declared a doubt to his mental competency just two weeks after he was charged. If found incompetent for trial, doctors will attempt to “restore” Perillo’s competency, at which point the case will resume.