BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A man accused of killing two people at the Vagabond Inn has been restored to competency and criminal proceedings have been reinstated.
Vicente Niko Williams was found incompetent two months ago, but the District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday said it’s been determined he’s now competent after receiving psychiatric treatment.
He’s charged with two counts of first-degree murder and a single count of attempted murder in the Aug. 22, 2022, shooting. Trial is scheduled for late November.
In determining competency, a judge weighs evidence including psychiatrist’s reports to determine whether a defendant understands the criminal proceedings against them and can assist their attorney with the preparation of a defense.
According to court documents, Williams took a bus to visit his mother at the Vagabond Inn on Colony Street in south Bakersfield. He shot Cristobal Rojas Hernandez in a laundry room, documents said, then went outside and tried to shoot his mother but hit Erika Cecilia Larez Mayorga instead. Hernandez and Mayorga were both 40.
