Bay Area woman suspected in Northern California wildfire arson ruled unfit for trial
A Bay Area woman suspected of starting an 8,600-acre fire in Northern California this fall has been deemed unfit to stand trial due to mental incompetence.
Shasta County Superior Court Judge Adam Ryan on Tuesday ruled Alexandra Souverneva, 31, mentally incompetent after evaluation by two psychologists, prosecutors said.
Both court-ordered psychologists found Souverneva incompetent, the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office said in an emailed statement, and “both parties (defense and prosecution) waived jury on the issue of competency.”
Ryan referred Souverneva for further evaluation by the Department of State Hospitals Conditional Release Program (CONREP), which the DA’s office wrote is intended to “restore a defendant to competency so that they can stand trial.”
Souverneva, listed as a resident of Palo Alto, pleaded not guilty Sept. 24 to arson charges related to the Fawn Fire, which sparked two days earlier near a quarry north of Shasta Lake. The fire destroyed 185 structures and injured three people, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire law enforcement interviewed Souverneva and arrested her on suspicion of starting the fire.
The state fire agency in statements said quarry employees reported seeing a woman trespassing and “acting irrationally.” That evening, a woman later identified by authorities as Souverneva was seen walking “out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters stating she was dehydrated and needed medical treatment.”
Cal Fire, in a narrative filed in court, also said Souverneva told Cal Fire law enforcement that she lit a fire while attempting to boil puddle water containing bear urine in order to drink. it.
Souverneva allegedly told authorities she was trying to hike to Canada, and she was found in possession of a lighter and “a green leafy substance she admitted to smoking that day,” according to the narrative.
Prosecutors filed felony charges against Souverneva for arson with an enhancement sought for doing so during a state of emergency for wildfire danger, District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced in September. Souverneva also faces a misdemeanor obstruction charge, court and jail records show, but prosecutors said the charge is unrelated to the Fawn Fire arson charge.
A LinkedIn profile for Souverneva described her as a “shaman” and yoga instructor, with bachelor’s degrees from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, the nation’s top STEM university. University commencement programs confirm Souverneva graduated from Caltech in 2012 with degrees in chemistry and biology.
She also attended State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry as a graduate student, where she studied algal booms, according to materials found on the department’s website.
Souverneva’s attorney, Gregg Cohen, had requested court-appointed psychiatric evaluations in early October.
CONREP is an outpatient treatment program. According to its website, most patients are treated through CONREP “after a lengthy stay in a state hospital.” Those admitted must complete a court-approved treatment plan.
Souverneva is due back in court Dec. 9 to receive CONREP’s placement report, the DA’s office said.
As of Wednesday, Souverneva remained in custody at the Shasta County jail with bail set at $175,000, the county’s inmate log shows.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Bay Area woman suspected in Northern California wildfire arson ruled unfit for trial."
