Psychiatrists to examine accused sex offender in Royal Oak police standoff
A Ferndale man charged with sexually assaulting a minor was ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam in 43rd District Court on Thursday.
Garo Boyajian, 47, has been in the Oakland County Jail on $500,000 cash bond since his arraignment last month on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which is punishable by up to life in prison.
Defense attorney Shannon Smith successfully filed a motion requesting the psychiatric exam Thursday before Ferndale District Judge Joseph Longo.
Boyajian took part in the video conference hearing from the Oakland County Jail. Psychiatric examinations are requested to determine whether defendants are competent to stand trial and can be held criminally responsible.
Two days before his Dec. 12 arraignment on the sex charges the suspect was involved in a standoff with police in Royal Oak.
Ferndale police went to a house in Royal Oak to check on the suspect because they thought he might be suicidal.
Police arrived at the house in the 3300 block of Cummings, southeast of 13 Mile and Greenfield roads.
Boyajian had a handgun and hid in the basement in an area beneath the stairs, police said, as he threatened to kill himself.
Ferndale and Royal Oak officers were at the
house and called in an Oakland County Sheriff’s SWAT team.
Officers could see the accused Ferndale sex offender under the stairs and took cover in the basement, Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue said at the time.
“Officers … tried to get him to surrender, but he wouldn’t give himself up,” O’Donohue said.
A SWAT robot was finally sent in and it was determined that Boyajian was passed out. He was taken to Beaumont Hospital and it was determined he had overdosed on drugs.
Two days before the standoff, Ferndale police received a complaint that the suspect had at least twice sexually assaulted a minor under the age of 16.
Ferndale police said Thursday that detectives investigated the complaint, which included allegations of sexual penetration.
Police said they learned of the accusation after the unidentified minor confided information about the sexual assault to an adult.
Boyajian’s court-ordered psychiatric examination is expected to take several weeks before he is scheduled for his next hearing in Ferndale District Court.
He faces no charges related to the standoff in Royal Oak.