Teen accused of fatal Summerlin stabbing found incompetent

A teenager accused of leaving school and fatally stabbing a man last year was found incompetent to stand trial during a court hearing Friday.

Ethan Goin was 16 when he was accused of stabbing Vergel Guintu in the neck on Aug. 27, 2021, at the 48-year-old’s Summerlin home, Las Vegas police have said. Goin, now 17, faces felony charges of murder with a deadly weapon and residential burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon.

During a competency hearing Friday morning, District Judge Christy Craig said that doctors have determined Goin is not competent to stand trial. He was ordered to be sent to the state psychiatric hospital Lake’s Crossing Center until he is deemed competent to face the charges.

Goin has been held at the Clark County Detention Center since last year, although a pediatric endocrinologist testified in January that the jail was not properly managing his diabetes.

Sarah Hawkins, the teen’s public defender, asked the judge on Friday if Goin could be sent to a juvenile facility, but Craig said she was not aware of a facility in Nevada that treats juveniles in the court system with competency issues.

“But if you find a facility and you can figure it out, put it back on calendar and I’ll be happy to listen,” Craig said.

Goin is accused of leaving school, going into Guintu’s home and stabbing him, although Goin later told police that he did not remember what happened inside the home. Hawkins has said Goin has been previously hospitalized for “mental health issues” and was most recently released from a hospital nine days before Guintu’s death.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.