Man facing murder charges in deadly arson to undergo psych evaluation
A 32-year-old man facing murder charges in connection with a group home arson that turned deadly was ordered Wednesday to undergo a mental health evaluation.
Defense lawyer Jess Marchese said he wanted Abebaw Kassa’s competency tested “out of an abundance of caution, given the severity of the charges.”
Kassa is charged with open murder and first-degree arson in the fire that killed Lolita Budiao, 60, a caregiver to four men at the east valley home at 1009 Marion Drive, near Washington Avenue.
During the July 27 fire, Budiao suffered second- and third-degree burns to 75 percent of her body, fire officials reported at the time. She received treatment at the Lions Burn Care Center at University Medical Center before she died.
Kassa was living at the home at the time.
According to an arrest report, the caregiver called the group home’s owner and left a message that Kassa was setting the house on fire. The homeowner tried calling the woman back, but the line was busy.
The woman and the four men she cared for, including Kassa, were all inside the home when the fire started, according to fire officials. One of the four residents later told investigators Kassa had locked the caregiver in a bathroom, and that she was yelling behind the locked door during the fire, the arrest report said.
Kassa is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find @randompoker on Twitter.
