Man held in road-rage shooting to get mental-competency exam

The South Philadelphia man charged in what police say was the road-rage shooting of another driver on the Schuylkill Expressway has been ordered to undergo a mental-competency exam.

Christian Squillaciotti, 33, will be examined by a psychiatrist who works for the Philadelphia courts to determine if he has the mental ability to understand the charges and help in his defense.

Municipal Court Judge Marsha H. Neifield issued the order at a brief hearing yesterday and told the prosecutor and defense attorney to return for a status hearing Wednesday.

If Squillaciotti - who was not in court - is mentally competent, his case would proceed to a preliminary hearing and trial.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Lipscomb said he hoped the mental-health exam might be completed by Monday.

Squillaciotti, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound former Marine and martial artist, is being held on $2 million bail on attempted murder and related charges in the Oct. 5 incident that seriously wounded motorist Thomas Timko, 41, of Glendora.

Timko remained hospitalized yesterday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with a gunshot wound of the head. Hospital officials said he was in fair condition.

Police said Timko was driving his 8-year-old daughter, Katie, to her mother's house in Norristown when he apparently cut off another driver going through the Walt Whitman Bridge toll plaza.

Police said the drivers exchanged words and Timko opened the moonroof of his 2001 Toyota Highlander and gestured toward the other driver. The other driver followed Timko as he drove off, approached on the right and fired into the Toyota before taking the Passyunk Avenue exit, police said.

Though critically wounded, Timko got his car to the side of the road, where his daughter flagged down help.

Squillaciotti was arrested Monday evening at his home in the 400 block of West Shunk Street after tipsters recognized his Ford F-150 pickup from photos taken at the bridge toll booths.

Authorities say Squillaciotti gave a statement to police expressing remorse and led them to a storm sewer where detectives found part of a .40-caliber handgun believed to have been used in the shooting.

Although he gave no indication he would challenge Squillaciotti's purported statement, public defender Gregg Blender did file a motion asserting that Squillaciotti had not waived his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The filing means detectives or prosecutors may not question Squillaciotti outside the presence of his attorney.