An Orange County judge ruled late Thursday that a drifter who brutally murdered a woman in Huntington Harbour nearly three decades ago will not be released from a state mental hospital to an outpatient facility. The decision was made due to concerns about the individual’s potential danger to the community.
In 1994, Leonard Patton attacked Jessica Uniack, a 47-year-old mother of two, with a tire iron, striking her more than 20 times in the head and body. Rather than being imprisoned, Patton was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has since been receiving treatment in a secure state mental hospital.
Recently, Patton’s doctors determined that he was ready to be moved to an outpatient facility as his medication and acceptance of his condition had helped control the psychosis that led to the killing, as well as his severe social phobia and anxiety issues.
However, Uniack’s family and prosecutors strongly opposed this release, citing Patton’s repeated violations in a previous release to Leisure Towers Guest Home in 2006. After several hearings, Orange County Superior Court Judge Erin Rowe denied the request, highlighting Patton’s past violations and emphasizing his ongoing severe social phobia, which can lead to impulsive and aggressive behavior.
A group of Uniack’s family members and supporters gathered outside the courtroom following the ruling, expressing relief. “There is obviously some relief,” said Alex Uniack, one of Jessica’s sons. “It is nice to have a good day in court, but in the back of my head I know it will come up again.”
Patton, who was not present in the courtroom but participated via video conferencing, is currently housed at the Sylmar Health and Rehabilitation Center. If the judge had approved his request, there were discussions of placing him back at Leisure Towers. However, the facility seemingly withdrew that possibility after hearing about Patton’s potential move through the media.
During Patton’s previous stay at Leisure Towers in 2006, investigators observed him purchasing a tool resembling a knife from an auto parts store, and a search of his room uncovered knife blades and sharp objects. Consequently, Patton was returned to a locked facility.
Dr. Nicole Caceres testified that Patton’s previous violations were a result of self-sabotaging behavior related to his social phobia. However, she noted his progress and readiness to move to an outpatient facility, stating that he had demonstrated the ability to withstand stressful situations without self-sabotaging.
Despite the defense’s arguments for Patton’s safe reintegration into the community, the deputy district attorney raised concerns about the potential risk if Patton were to stop taking his medication and quickly experience psychotic symptoms. The uncertainty of where Patton would be housed and the rules that would apply further increased the community’s apprehension.
Following Patton’s arrest, his family expressed relief as they had previously attempted to get him committed to a mental health facility. On December 8, 1994, voices in Patton’s head compelled him to travel from Minnesota to Los Angeles. After a car accident with Jessica Uniack, Patton attacked and killed her, leaving her body in her own vehicle and eventually being apprehended by the police.
Alex Uniack conveyed to the judge the family’s initial belief that the man who murdered his mother would be confined to a locked state hospital for the rest of his life. He described the recent hearings as a grueling process, where doctors focused on helping Patton cope with the legal proceedings while the victims’ families felt left to deal with the aftermath.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating, “We will never stop fighting to protect public safety, and we are relieved that the victims’ loved ones can sleep soundly knowing the man who murdered their mother will not be allowed to live freely among the rest of society.”
Staff writer Tony Saavedra contributed to this report.
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