Criminal Proceedings Suspended For Thousand Oaks Man Who Is Accused With Killing His Roommate

Wednesday November 06, 2024

     Updated--The criminal proceedings against a Thousand Oaks man accused of killing his roommate a week ago have been suspended.

     The defense attorney told the court Wednesday he has a doubt about the mental competency of 58-year-old Thomas Buckley.

     The judge then put the criminal case on hold and set a December 5th for a competency hearing.

     This comes a day after the DA's office formerly charged Buckley with murder and a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon to kill his roommate, 72-year-old Michael Patterson.

     Buckley was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon and felony vandalism.

     A week ago Buckley is alleged to have killed Patterson and then, in an agitated state, busted a second floor window and assaulted an employee at Silverado Memory Community at 980 Warwick Avenue.

     He was finally detained by a responding sheriff's deputy and taken into custody at the Todd Road Jail near Santa Paula where he remains and is being held with bail set at $2 million.