Suspect in Target fire needs mental evaluation
The man accused of starting a fire at a Target department store appeared in Amherst Town Court on Wednesday morning, but the proceeding was rescheduled for Sept. 19 because he hasn’t had a court-ordered mental health evaluation, his defense attorney said.William Lattin, 64, charged with second-degree arson, told the judge he did not start the fire Aug. 15, even though Amherst police say he admitted it after he was arrested the next day. His defense attorney, Robert Cutting, thinks Lattin has significant mental health issues but said he hasn’t been cooperative about taking the mental exam. Lattin also told the judge he had more than 200 prior arrests, but the judge, looking at Lattin’s file, said the number was closer to 40, Cutting said.