A psychologist has determined a man allegedly involved in an armed standoff at the Travelodge on Bypass Road in York County in July is not competent to stand trial.
Evan Anthony Cole was scheduled for a hearing in the York-Poquoson General District Court Tuesday for a progress review in his case after a Petersburg psychologist evaluated the 29-year-old’s competency to stand trial.
Cole is charged with two felony counts of sex trafficking, two felony counts of abduction, two felony counts of robbery, one felony count of strangulation, and two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery in connection with the standoff July 11.
He is also charged with sex trafficking in Williamsburg after two women reported he allegedly beat and choked them July 5 at a local hotel.
When asked about the outcome of Tuesday’s hearing when Cole was found incompetent to stand trial — and why psychologists determined Cole was not competent — Commonwealth’s Attorney Benjamin Hahn emailed two Virginia Code sections to a WYDaily reporter about how competency is evaluated as well as the procedure to restore a defendant to competency.
On Wednesday, a general district court clerk said a copy of the court order for Cole’s treatment was not available because it had not yet been signed by a judge.
When a defendant is found incompetent, the court will order they receive treatment to restore their competency so the case can move forward, according to the Virginia Code.
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Federal courts
Email correspondence in Cole’s case file between prosecutors and court clerks indicate federal prosecutors voiced an interest in trying the Williamsburg and York County charges together in federal court.
The correspondence came as prosecutors and clerks worked to schedule a competency evaluation for Cole and find a psychologist close enough to do the test.
An email on Aug. 7 says Cole was at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail for a time before being moved to the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin, Virginia.
For a time, York County prosecutors delayed a request for a psychological evaluation because federal prosecutors suggested they may pursue the charges themselves, according to an Aug. 8 court clerk email.
Another email Aug. 16 from a court clerk indicated Hahn directed the clerks Aug. 14 to arrange an evaluation anyway, as he had not heard back from federal prosecutors.
The competency evaluation was ordered Aug. 30 and tested for both competency to stand trial and sanity at the time of the offense.
As of Wednesday, federal court records did not show any cases or charges against Cole.
Online court records were not updated as of Wednesday to reflect any future hearings scheduled for Cole’s case in the York-Poquoson General District Court.
Williamsburg case
The charges against Cole for alleged sex trafficking in Williamsburg are still active in the Williamsburg-James City County General District Court.
Williamsburg Police believe he forced two women into prostitution and kept them at the Best Western in the 300 block of York Street.
Police responded to the hotel July 5 for a “suspicious incident,” during which the women alleged Cole choked, assaulted and robbed them.
He is charged with two felony counts of abduction, two felony counts of robbery, one felony count of strangulation, and two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.
His case is scheduled for a hearing in the Williamsburg court at 1 p.m. Oct. 24.
