Man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker in Connecticut ordered to undergo psych exam
HARTFORD, Conn.– A man accused of assaulting a Connecticut state representative outside a Muslim prayer service was ordered to undergo a mental competency evaluation Thursday.
Andrey Desmond, 30, appeared in Supreme Court on several charges, including attempted sexual assault in the June attack on state Rep. Maryam Khan, who was attending a service at Hartford's XL Center as her family marked Eid al-Adha, the end of the month. Hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca.
Court records show Desmond, who lived in New Britain, has a history of mental illness. The New York Times reported that he was placed under intensive supervision in New York three years ago after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Desmond's public defender, John Stawicki, requested a mental health evaluation and said he does not believe his client understands what is happening and could assist in his own defense. Desmond will return to court on February 1 after the exam.
Khan, a Democrat who lives in Windsor, a Hartford suburb, attended Thursday's court hearing.
“I will say that our mental health system is very broken,” Khan said outside the courthouse.
She has said that she and her family, including her 15-year-old daughter, were taking photos outside the arena when Desmond approached and said he “intended to have sexual relations” with one of them.
Desmond then followed them inside and Khan said he began chasing her in particular, grabbing her face and shirt and demanding a kiss, she said. He followed her back outside and tried to grab her face again, she said, but became angry when she “dodged” him and punched her in the face. She said he later put her in a “chokehold,” raised his hand and pretended to have a gun before knocking her to the ground.
Khan said she suffered a concussion and injured her right arm and shoulder.
The Associated Press does not generally identify people who report attempted sexual assaults unless they publicly identify themselves, as Khan has done.
Desmond was chased and held by two bystanders until police arrived and arrested him.