Former Marine accused of murder had PTSD treatment mishandled by VA

Attorney: Former Marine accused of murder had PTSD treatment mishandled by VA
Pasadena Star-News
By Sarah Favot
POSTED: 02/17/14

PASADENA
An attorney for a former Marine facing murder charges said Monday a Veterans Affairs hospital inadequately treated the veteran for post-traumatic stress disorder and failed to follow state law that could have prevented his client from possessing firearms at the time of the murder.

Marine Corps veteran Ricardo Javier Tapia, 32, pleaded not guilty last month to one count of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Dec. 20 shooting death in a Reseda apartment building of Giam Hoang, 73, and critical wounding of Hoang’s wife, Hoan Thi Nguyen, 61.

After three tours of Iraq and a traumatic brain injury, Paparian said Tapia sees and hears the insurgents in Fallujah coming after him.

Los Angeles Police Department police officers placed Tapia under a 72-hour involuntary psychiatric watch 19 days before the murder because he was a “danger to others,” due to a mental disorder, according to documents provided by Paparian.
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