A Clark County judge has found that a 19-year-old man is mentally competent to stand trial on allegations that he started two restroom fires in the Battle Ground Community Library.
Following the decision Tuesday, Luke M. Love of Battle Ground entered a plea of not guilty to two counts of first-degree arson.
Superior Court Judge Suzan Clark scheduled his trial for June 9.
Experts at Western State Hospital evaluated Love and found him competent under the legal definition. Love’s attorney, Susan Stauffer, indicated Feb. 28 that she planned to seek a second opinion and received $1,500 in indigent defense money to hire expert Dr. Jerry Larsen to evaluate Love.
On Tuesday, she conceded to the hospital’s competency finding but said Love has some developmental delays. Clark then entered a competency order, lifting a stay on legal proceedings against Love.
Under law, a defendant is competent to stand trial if able to assist in the defense. A competency evaluation doesn’t address all of a defendant’s mental health issues.
Love remains in the Clark County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
The library fires have similar elements to a Feb. 28, 2013, incident where Love wrote a bomb threat on a wall in a boys’ restroom at Battle Ground High School. He pleaded guilty Aug. 1 to threats to bomb and felony harassment and was sentenced to five days in jail and 25 days on a work crew.
He is accused of setting the fires on Nov. 14 and Jan. 6 in the men’s restroom at the library, 1207 S.E. Eighth Way, according to a court affidavit. In both cases, library books were used to start the fires, said Sue Vanlaanen, spokeswoman for the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District.
On Jan. 26, according to the affidavit, Love left his tutor in a study room at the library after saying that he was getting a drink from a water fountain. Battle Ground Public Schools provided Love with a home tutor because he has not been allowed on the high school campus sincethe bomb threats, school officials said during a previous court hearing.
When Love returned to the study room, his tutor said she heard the library’s fire alarm sounding, prompting the building to be evacuated.
Evidence at the scene suggested that Love set the fire inside a garbage can, according to the affidavit. A basic astronomy book was burned during the fire, Vanlaanen said.
Battle Ground police found Love was carrying a lighter, the affidavit says.
The library sustained minor damage.
In the Nov. 14 fire, at least three books were burned. One was a basic math review book; the other two were charred and couldn’t be identified, Vanlaanen said.
Love struggles with multiple disabilities and mental health issues, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and major depression, according to court documents.
During an interview with detectives, Love admitted to setting both fires, the affidavit says.
