Accused mother to remain in treatment to restore competency
The mother who allegedly stabbed her 15-year-old son during a domestic dispute appeared in Yuma County Superior Court on Wednesday for a hearing on her continued competency treatment.
During the hearing, Superior Court Judge David Haws said that he has received the 150-day report on Diana Diaz from the Yuma County jail’s Restoration to Competency (RTC) program and that she still does not completely understand the proceedings or can’t help him prepare her defense.
He said while progress has been made, psychologists are recommending she continue treatment for another 30 days, which is what he was ordering.
Diaz’s next hearing has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 3. If she is restored to competency before then, the hearing will be held sooner.
Diaz, who is represented by attorney Jose Padilla of the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office, was declared incompetent to stand trial by a Phoenix psychologist in September 2022.
She has been charged with attempted first-degree murder per domestic violence and aggravated assault per domestic violence and is being held on a $750,000 cash-only bond.
Under Arizona law, a person cannot be tried, convicted or sentenced while they have been deemed “not competent.”
Last April, Yuma police officers responded to a report of a disturbance in the area of Avenue A and Desert Sun Drive.
Upon officers’ arrival, they found a male juvenile with multiple stab wounds. The initial investigation revealed that Diaz had gotten into a verbal argument with her son and allegedly stabbed him multiple times with a knife.
Her son was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center where he was reported to be in stable condition at the time.