Next week, a judge will determine if Mickey Barreto, a guest at the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, should be placed in a psychiatric hospital.
Mickey Barreto, a man who lived in Room 2565 of the New Yorker Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for five years without paying rent, was recently evicted and charged with a criminal scheme to claim ownership of the hotel. However, doctors and prosecutors have now determined that he is not mentally competent to stand trial. A judge has given him seven days to find inpatient psychiatric care, or he will be forced into treatment.
In February, Mr. Barreto was charged with 24 counts, including 14 felony fraud charges, related to his alleged scheme to take ownership of the New Yorker Hotel. Despite pleading not guilty, he was deemed mentally unfit to proceed with the trial. Following his arrest, he was released on his own recognizance, but a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation revealed that he did not fully comprehend the legal proceedings against him due to his mental illnesses and drug addiction.
As a result, Mr. Barreto has been given a deadline to secure inpatient psychiatric care before facing a court hearing next week where he may be compelled to undergo treatment. This development comes after a tumultuous legal battle stemming from his unconventional living situation at the New Yorker Hotel and the subsequent criminal charges brought against him.
Source: The NY Times
