Fawn Fire suspect not competent to face arson trial
The Palo Alto woman charged with starting the Fawn Fire in Shasta County in September was deemed incompetent to stand trial Tuesday after she was evaluated by two court-appointed psychologists.
Alexandra Souverneva, 31, was ordered to undergo psychological evaluations in early October when her attorney cast doubt on her ability to contribute to her own defense in court. Her attorney suggested at the time that she may have been unable to assist him in her own trial, according to the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office.
On Tuesday, a judge ordered Souverneva to be evaluated for a potential placement at the Department of State Hospitals’ Conditional Release Program, an outpatient treatment system for people who have been charged with crimes and experiencing psychiatric symptoms. That evaluation will be reviewed at her next court date, on Dec. 9.
“The purpose of this process is to restore a defendant to competency so that they can stand trial,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Souverneva was charged with sparking the Fawn Fire on Sept. 24. She had been arrested two days prior, officials said, after she was seen walking out of a forested area near the fire’s ignition point as fire crews battled the blaze. Witnesses told law enforcement that she had been behaving “irrationally,” officials said.
She was being investigated for possibly starting other fires both in Shasta County and elsewhere in California, prosecutors said.
She could face up to nine years in prison if convicted on the arson charge, with an enhancement for setting the fire during a state of emergency, according to Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett. Additional charges could follow.
The Fawn Fire, which started on Sept. 22 about 5 miles northeast of the city of Shasta Lake, scorched 8,578 acres before it was fully contained on Oct. 2. Approximately 185 structures were destroyed and three firefighters were injured, according to Cal Fire.
Souverneva earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2012. She later attended graduate school at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.