CNN
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A person who in 2021 was an Military trainee in South Carolina was discovered not responsible by motive of madness final week in reference to an alleged hijacking of a faculty bus with 18 elementary college students onboard.
Jovan Collazo, who’s now 25, had been accused of getting on a bus headed to a Columbia elementary faculty on Could 6, 2021, with an unloaded rifle and telling the driving force he didn’t wish to damage him however he wished him to take him to the following city.
Collazo was evaluated by two medical doctors who decided he was unable to acknowledge proper from incorrect on the time of the incident, Deputy Solicitor for the Fifth Judicial Circuit Daniel Goldberg mentioned in an announcement Wednesday.
A decide dominated he was not responsible by motive of madness, the prosecutor mentioned.
“He can be despatched to a Division of Psychological Well being facility for remedy, however will be capable of come again earlier than the court docket at a later date to find out the place he must be housed for the foreseeable future,” Goldberg mentioned.
Collazo was initially charged with 19 counts of kidnapping, armed theft, carjacking, pointing and presenting, use of a weapon throughout a violent crime and illegal carrying a weapon on faculty property.
Collazo’s public defender, Fielding Pringle, mentioned that after final Thursday’s choice, “We stay up for him receiving the remedy he wants.”
In 2021, Brig. Gen. Milford Beagle Jr. mentioned Collazo, then a trainee, ran away from Fort Jackson by leaping a fence throughout private hygiene time shortly earlier than breakfast. Collazo didn’t have entry to ammunition, the then-base commander mentioned.
A video launched by the sheriff’s division on the time confirmed a person, recognized as Collazo, operating as much as the bus driver, holding a rifle to the person and telling him to shut the door and drive.
In accordance with Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, the person introduced the 18 youngsters to the entrance of the bus, the place they began asking questions on whether or not he was going to harm them or the driving force. Collazo then acquired annoyed and had the kids and driver get off the bus, the sheriff mentioned.
The video, which was edited by the sheriff’s division, reveals the person driving the bus after which opening the door and getting off.
Lott mentioned the person drove just a few miles and was “having difficulties working the bus” earlier than abandoning it with the rifle inside. The person then wandered by means of neighborhoods attempting to get “rice and garments,” Lott mentioned.
Collazo was finally noticed close to I-77, the place he was arrested. Lott mentioned the incident lasted about an hour and, in response to a information launch, nobody was damage.
As of Wednesday, Collazo, who’s from New Jersey, was nonetheless listed as being held in a county jail, in response to on-line information.
In an e-mail, Leslie Ann Sully, a Fort Jackson Garrison media relations officer, instructed CNN the Military was “conscious of the decision within the Pvt. Collazo case and can take the suitable actions as soon as it’s fully adjudicated within the S.C. court docket system.”
CNN adopted up asking for clarification about Collazo’s army standing and has not heard again.
Positioned within the Columbia space, Fort Jackson is the Military’s predominant manufacturing middle for primary fight coaching, in response to its web site.
