Man Who Allegedly Attacked Roommate, Killed Cat In Davis Granted Mental Health Diversion
DAVIS (CBS13) — A Davis woman said she was attacked by her roommate and accuses him of killing her cat.
The ordeal allegedly took place in a Davis neighborhood off Fremont Court over the weekend of October 12-13, 2019. The woman said her roommate, 44-year-old Joshua Friedman, kicked her, tried to tie her up, took her cell phone, and tried to kill her.
Friedman allegedly attacked the woman after she tried to enter the garage where he had killed her cat with a hammer. Police say the woman was able to escape when she told Friedman her two other cats were in his bedroom.
The woman suffered minor injuries in the attack and police later recovered her phone. Friedman was arrested on suspicion of battery, false imprisonment, and animal cruelty.
Friedman's attorneys have since stated that Friedman has diagnosed mental conditions that played a role in the incident. As a result, Friedman was granted mental health treatment diversion, which, for up to a 6-month period, will provide him with treatment rather than further court processing.
Under California law, "pretrial diversion" means prosecution is postponed, either temporarily or permanently, at any point in the judicial process from the point at which the accused is charged until he or she goes to court, to allow the defendant to undergo mental health treatment.