Palo Alto Woman Mentally Unfit To Stand Trial Amid Arson Charges

PALO ALTO, CA — A California judge ruled Tuesday that a woman was unfit to stand trial after she was accused of igniting a large wildfire in September, according to multiple reports.

Alexandra Souverneva, 30, pleaded not guilty to arson charges in connection with the Fawn Fire, which scorched 8,578 acres five miles from Shasta Lake.

Souverneva was evaluated by two-court appointed psychologists in October, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. This week, a Shasta County judge order her to be evaluated again to potentially be placed at the Department of State Hospitals’ Conditional Release Program, the newspaper also reported.

"The purpose of this process is to restore a defendant to competency so that they can stand trial," the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office reportedly said in a statement.

Souverneva was charged on Sept. 24 with felony arson to wildland with an enhancement because of a declared state of emergency in California, according to Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett.

She was seen trespassing in the area where the fire broke out — near Fawndale Road north of Mountain Gate — and "acting irrationally," according to Cal Fire. On Sept. 22, at around 8 p.m., she walked out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters who were fighting the fire, telling them she was dehydrated and needed medical treatment, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire law enforcement officers suspected that Souverneva was responsible for starting the fire after interviewing her.

The Fawn Fire sent Californians fleeing from their homes this year, with nearly 2,000 residents under mandatory evacuation orders. Another 7,400 were warned to be ready to leave if necessary, according to the California Highway Patrol.