Mental health issues raised in vandalized war memorial case in Merced

Mental health questions surfaced Friday in the case against a Merced man charged with vandalizing the Merced County War Memorial in Courthouse Park earlier this month.

Gerardo Ybarra Valencia pleaded not guilty Friday morning to felony counts of vandalism and making criminal threats as well as a misdemeanor count of brandishing a deadly weapon. Superior Court Judge Mark V. Bacciarini presided at Friday’s hearing.

Valencia, 45, has been charged in connection with the Jan. 9 vandalism of the World War II side of the memorial in Merced. He was arrested Jan. 16, following a weeklong investigation by the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

He is accused of spraying the memorial with black paint and using a knife to threaten a man a knife a man who confronted him during the vandalism. Valencia swung the knife at the man’s pet pit bull, but no one was injured, according to prosecutors.

The Merced County District Attorney’s Office on Friday said prosecutors have been made aware of Valencia’s recent history of documented mental health issues. Valencia has been described by authorities as having a recent history of sporadic homelessness or transiency. Details were not available Friday.

It’s unclear how those reports could affect the case against Valencia, acknowledged Deputy District Attorney Allen Grove, who is prosecuting the case.

“It certainly seems like that’s going to be an issue in this case going forward,” Grove told the Merced Sun-Star. “I know his attorney wants some time to meet with him to discuss those issues.”

Valencia’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Michael Coughlin, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

The defendant has an extensive history of arrests dating to 1993, but relatively few criminal convictions on his record. He pleaded guilty in June 2013 to vehicle theft and was sentenced to six months in jail as well as three years’ probation, according to court records.

Sheriff’s deputies have described Valencia as “cooperative” with investigators.

He is scheduled to return to court Feb. 20. Valencia remains in custody at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility on $90,000 bail, according to booking records.

Volunteers have tried to remove the graffiti from the memorial, but dark stains remain. Experts have estimated the replacement cost at about $12,000 if the damage can’t be repaired.

This story was originally published January 23, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Mental health issues raised in vandalized war memorial case in Merced."