Suspect gets mental eval

A mental competency hearing is set for May 10 for the man who allegedly tried robbing a Chula Vista bank and later was charged with strangling his cellmate.

Criminal proceedings on both cases have been suspended for Clinton Forbel Thinn, 29, who remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail.

A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered and if he is found mentally incompetent he will be sent to a psychiatric facility.

Thinn has been charged with five counts of attempted robbery at knifepoint from employees at the Bank of America branch at Third and E Street in Chula Vista near closing time on June 24, 2016. He is also charged with felony assault, making a criminal threat, and six counts of false imprisonment.

Chula Vista Police arrested Thinn at the scene. While he was at the downtown central jail, he is suspected of causing the death of Lyle Woodward, his cellmate. Woodward was attacked Dec. 3, but was in a hospital on life support.

A friend of Woodward’s mother posted a gofundme page for her to raise funds for a funeral after Lyle Woodward was taken off life support as he had no brain activity. The page said Woodward lost oxygen for 10 minutes during the attack.

Thinn is from New Zealand and a published report says he was an aspiring rapper. Thinn told a KGTV (Channel 10) reporter that he did not kill his cellmate.