Mental Health Exam Ordered for Murder Suspect Seized at Mental Health Clinic

A mental health evaluation was ordered Tuesday for a 23-year-old San Diego woman who was arrested at Alvarado Parkway Institute-Charter Hospital on Parkway Drive in December—accused of fatally shooting her 74-year-old great-aunt in the victim’s Tierrasanta home 11 days before Christmas.

Tiffany Nicole Burney is charged with murder in the death of Daisy Mae Hayes.
  
Deputy Public Defender Kevin Haughton told Judge Michael Smyth in San Diego Superior Court that he doubted his client’s ability to assist in her defense.

Smyth suspended criminal proceedings and ordered that Burney be examined by doctors to determine if she is mentally competent to stand trial.
  
A hearing was set for May 14.

At Burney’s arraignment last year, Deputy District Attorney Roy Lai alleged the defendant shot her great-aunt four times in the face from close range in the early morning hours of Dec. 14.
  
Lai said Hayes was at a hospital the previous day taking care of her husband of 55 years, who was recovering from back surgery.
  
Burney was apparently let into the victim's home early the next morning, because there were no signs of a struggle, the prosecutor said.
  
Burney allegedly fired five shots at her great-aunt, with four hitting the victim in the face and head, according to Lai.
  
Hayes’ body was found the night of Dec. 14 in the living room of her Gabacho Drive home after relatives were unable to reach her and went to the residence to check on her welfare.
  
Burney, the granddaughter of the victim’s sister, was arrested three days later at the mental hospital in La Mesa.
  
The prosecutor said the defendant lived a transient lifestyle and police had trouble locating her after the shooting.
  
Burney was an  “angry, frustrated and unstable” individual who had access to an unregistered revolver and used it to kill her great-aunt, he alleged.
  
According to court records, Burney was the subject of two mental health cases filed in 2010 and also filed a lawsuit against the county mental health agency in August of that  year.
  
Burney faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted.

City News Service contributed to this report.