BY Grace Zokovitch
Boston Herald
BOSTON — Five years after a woman allegedly stabbed a Boston EMT, her lawyer moved to dismiss her case and argued she is unlikely to ever regain the mental competency to stand trial for her actions in a Suffolk Superior Court hearing Wednesday.
“It is important that people recognize that after being treated for five years in-patient in a mental health hospital, if they have not been able to restore her to competency then we need to dismiss the case at this point,” said defense attorney Eduardo Masferrer. “The charges can always be re-brought later if she’s restored to competency.”
Julie Tejeda, of East Boston, is accused of stabbing a female EMT seven times in the abdomen and legs and pepper spraying her and her partner while they were transporting the suspect in an ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital for a wellness check in July 2019.
Tejeda, who has been treated at Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain for many years, has not yet been determined “mentally competent” to stand trial on assault with a deadly weapon and other charges.
Masferrer moved for the judge to dismiss the case without prejudice Wednesday, meaning the Commonwealth could potentially bring the case again if Tejeda is at some point deemed fit to stand trial. The judge declined to rule on the motion Wednesday, choosing to reassess after Tejeda’s newer medications take effect and he reviews reports from her doctors.
Over 30 local EMTs — with a large contingent of New York EMTs who said they’ve recently suffered murders of their members — showed up with the victim in the courtroom Wednesday in a show of support for their colleague.
The EMT who was stabbed was forced to retire after the incident, representatives for the EMTs said, and still suffers mental and physical injuries from the incident.
BPD EMS union president Matthew Anderson said the motion to dismiss on Wednesday is “not justice.”
“We get assaulted every day,” said Anderson. “This is an everyday occurrence for us. And it’s not right. All of our EMTs are here to stand behind Elena, and also to say that it’s not right and stand up for ourselves. And we need help from the court.”
Tejeda was picked up by the ambulance in 2019 while she was suffering from the delusion that then-governor Charlie Baker was in love with her and going to kill his wife, the defense said Wednesday. When she got in the ambulance, she broke down and pulled a knife out of her purse.
Masferrer argued though Tejeda has made some progress in her mental treatment with recognizing her past delusions, she continues to have new delusions and several doctors have not indicated they expect her to regain competency. After five years of this, he said, the chances she will ever be fit to stand trial are “slim to none.”
“It’s not fair to sort of keep a case languishing over and over for years and years and years when it’s never going to be resolved,” said Masferrer. “It’s a stress, it’s a pressure just hanging over you. You need some sort of resolution.”
The prosecution contended the case has not even reached the halfway point of her potential assault sentence, seven and a half years, and Tejeda continues to have changes in her treatment plan and show demonstrated improvement.
“Right now, what’s the main focus today for me is wanting to see Elena and to make sure that we’re showing her the support,” said Boston EMS Chief James Hooley, referencing the stabbing victim. “We’re gonna continue to keep showing her support.”
The case will return to Suffolk Superior Court on Oct. 9 .
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