Court: Arson suspect not competent

NORWALK — A Willard man was deemed not competent to stand trial on a felony arson charge. Cody T. Hall, 32, of the fifth block of Sandusky St., was indicted in November on one count of first-degree felony aggravated arson, one fourth-degree felony count of arson, one third-degree felony count of attempted burglary, one second-degree felony count of attempted aggravated arson and one misdemeanor count of criminal damaging or endangering. At a May 7 hearing in Huron County Common Pleas Court, Judge James Conway followed the recommendation of psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Sirkin and declared Hall not competent to stand trial. Hall initially had an evaluation with a different doctor but was found to be uncooperative, according to court documents. He was then ordered to undergo a 20-day evaluation period at the beginning of March. "Defendant does not display the capacity to work meaningfully with his attorney in his defense and is not capable of understanding the nature and objectives of the proceedings being brought against him at this time," the judgment entry states. Doctors with the Northwest Ohio Behavioral Healthcare institution now have one year to restore Hall to competency. A hearing in the case is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 4. Background Hall was accused of lighting a fire on a porch attached to a house that was occupied at the time. Just before 8 a.m. on Oct. 27, officers were called to the intersection of North Myrtle and Woodland avenues for the report of a suspicious person. The caller told dispatchers a man dressed all in black was dragging an American flag and, at one point, was trying to stop traffic by walking in the middle of the road, according to a Willard police report. When the first officer arrived, he reportedly observed a small fire at the door of a residence on North Main Street with a man dressed all in black walking away from the home. The officer called Willard fire to extinguish the flames and started pursuing the man, whom he reported recognizing as Hall. Hall refused commands to stop, and the officer eventually circled back to the home, fearing the flames might spread. The officer dragged the mat from the porch, then learned that other officers had spotted and arrested Hall. Officers discovered that an outside screen on one of the windows was ripped off and lying under the window. When they arrested him, officers seized a lighter from Hall, the report states.