An April 29 mental competency hearing was set on April 17 for a would-be carjacker who was unable to start a high-tech car during a robbery in the Midway District.
The attorney for Robert John Bustillos, 49, has told a judge he is not sure if his client is mentally competent, so a psychiatrist is set to interview him in jail.
Bustillos is accused of holding up a man at a convenience store on Midway Drive by demanding his keys to his Chevrolet Volt and phone at gunpoint around 6:05 a.m. on Jan. 7.
The victim went back into the 7-Eleven store where the owner locked the door as Bustillos attempted to drive the car. However, he could not figure out how to start the hybrid. He exited the vehicle and threw the keys and phone away in frustration, as seen on security camera video.
San Diego Police arrested Bustillos about six blocks away later that morning. Bustillos is charged with robbery and attempted carjacking in San Diego Superior Court.
Criminal proceedings are suspended and he has yet to undergo a preliminary hearing. Bustillos remains in the central jail without bail.