Judge orders mental exam for beatings suspect

Updated: 2:40 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A judge Monday ordered a psychological examination for one of two teens arrested in the fatal beating of a homeless man and a second beating that was videotaped by a surveillance camera.

Family members and their attorneys negotiated the Sunday surrender of Brian Hooks, 18, and a 17-year-old youth who had fled the state. (It is the policy of MSNBC.com not to identify juvenile suspects.)

Hooks and the other teen face murder charges in the death of Norris Gaynor, 45, and aggravated battery charges in the videotaped beating of Jacques Pierre, 58, police Capt. Michael Gregory said Sunday.

A third suspect was arrested late Monday and charged with one count of aggravated battery, The Miami Herald reported. William Ammons, 18, was accused of taking part in one of the attacks but not the fatal one. He was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Fort Lauderdale Police via AP Brian Hooks

At a hearing Monday, Circuit Judge Steven P. DeLuca ordered Daugherty to be held for 21 days in juvenile custody and to undergo a psychological examination. DeLuca denied a request from Daugherty’s attorney, Jerry Williams, for home detention.

Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to charge Daugherty as a juvenile or an adult.

A hearing for Hooks was delayed until Tuesday. Because he is 18, he was charged as an adult. His attorney, Jeremy Kroll, said the charges “do not appropriately reflect Brian’s responsibility. ... When all the facts come to light, it will be evident that Brian’s involvement is far more limited than has been speculated.”

Authorities had said they received more than 100 tips after photos and video were shown nationwide of the attack on Pierre early Thursday on the Fort Lauderdale campus of Florida Atlantic University. They showed two males chasing and beating the homeless man with what appeared to be baseball bats. He had been sleeping on a bench

“The video was critical in getting the word out,” Gregory said.

Gaynor was killed a few blocks away from where Pierre was attacked. He died from severe head injuries, authorities said.

In addition, the teens are suspects in the beating of Raymond Perez, 49, authorities said. That case remains under investigation, Gregory said.

All three beatings took place Thursday.

There were 105 attacks on homeless in 2004, including 25 deaths, according to the Washington, D.C.-based National Coalition for the Homeless. The majority of attackers were young men between the ages of 16 and 25.

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