TAMPA, Fla. — A competency hearing has been requested for a man who police say stabbed another man to death as a result of road rage.
- Competency hearing set for Teddy Smith
- Smith accused of stabbing man to death
- Stabbing stemmed from road rage incident
Teddy Baltimore Smith is accused of stabbing a man to death in April over a spitting incident. Smith has been in jail since April, and a doctor is supposed to determine if Smith can even stand trial.
According to officials, Smith pulled up next to a pickup truck at a traffic light in Tampa, when the passenger in the truck, Gilbert Serna, spat out of his window, hitting Smith in the arm.
The incident sent Smith into a rage, officials said, and when he got out of his vehicle to confront Serna, Smith ended up stabbing him in the heart.
Smith fled the scene and wasn't arrested until a couple of days later.
At one point, before he was arrested, officials say Smith visited a police sub station, and was spotted mumbling to himself, saying something about a "dead man," about women's clothing, being disrespected, and his time in a Jamaican prison, according to the report made by the officer who observed Smith.
Officials say the defense could make a strong argument that Smith is not competent to stand trial. However, it depends on the doctor's testimony and how much other evidence defense attorney's can produce that show Smith is struggling with mental illness.
The hearing has been set for Sept. 12.