Accused in attack on Jewish father in Montreal had ‘delirious ideas', judge says
The man charged with attacking a Jewish father in front of the victim's young children last week has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he can be found criminally responsible for his alleged actions.
Sergio Yanes Preciado, 23, appeared before Quebec Court Judge Martin Chalifour on Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse. He is charged with assault causing bodily harm.
The victim was attacked Friday in Dickie-Moore Park in the Parc-Extension neighbourhood. The assault was recorded on video and shared on social media. While the victim is laying injured on the ground, the assailant is seen tossing what appears to be a kippah into a puddle of water.
Today in Montreal Jewish father with 3 kids beaten in an unprovoked attack, seemingly by a disturbed person, words have consequences. @Val_Plante @SPVM why did it take for the SPVM over an hour to respond? pic.twitter.com/MufsGoDMjW
— Mayer Feig (@mayerfeig) August 8, 2025
Preciado was arrested by Montreal police on Monday and charged on Tuesday. He was ordered to undergo a very quick mental health evaluation at the Montreal courthouse before he appeared again on Wednesday.
While the report on the evaluation was placed under a seal, some of the findings of the criminologist who did the evaluation were mentioned in open court.
'(Preciado) worked at a cinema until Easter; there were difficult moments for him. There was a question of consuming drugs. He seemed to have delirious ideas linked to his actions,' the judge said while summarizing the report, adding some of the details concerning his mental health were corroborated by Preciado's mother.
'The consumption of drugs does not seem to be connected to his mental health, but the criminologist concludes that an evaluation of his responsibility indicates (he should be evaluated),' Chalifour said.
The judge also said the criminologist wrote that the hot weather experienced in Montreal on the day in question might have played a role in what happened.
A lawyer who represented Preciado on Wednesday said the accused consents to undergoing the 30-day evaluation at the Philippe Pinel Institute. Preciado will be detained while he undergoes the evaluation.
The case will return to court on Sept. 12.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 3:33 PM.
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