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The Albert Lea man accused of stabbing his nephew in the leg with a knife earlier this week was found not competent on Thursday to proceed with his case, as well as a previous case from 2023, based on the findings of a competency evaluation completed in November on the former case.

Efren Estrada, 24, was charged with one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon tied to this week’s stabbing at a residence at 1014 Garfield Ave.

Court documents stated the adult victim was sleeping in bed at about 10:25 a.m. Tuesday when he was awakened by Estrada, told to get up and then stabbed in the leg. The nephew then ran out toward the back of the house and put on the only shoes he could find before his brother called law enforcement. The two brothers were standing in the driveway behind a small sedan near the front porch when police arrived.

The victim told police Estrada had a kitchen knife with a gray plastic handle that was about 5 inches long that came from a kitchen drawer. After Estrada allegedly stabbed him in the leg, he reportedly came at him as though he were going to stab him again, according to the court complaint.

Estrada was apprehended about three hours later at the house after members of the South Central Drug Investigation Unit Special Weapons and Tactics team used an explosive breach at 1:28 p.m. on the front door. After police provided additional commands, Estrada was arrested at 1:30 p.m.

During the court proceeding Thursday, Estrada was also set to appear for a review hearing for the case pending from April 2023, in which he was charged with threatening his relative with a knife.

In that case he reportedly punched and kicked a door in the bathroom about 20 times while a family member was inside the room and then started stabbing the door and yelling that he was going to kill the relative. The victim stated he could see the puncture holes and saw the blade come through the door a couple times. The victim stated he was holding the door closed as Estrada tried to force his way into the bathroom.

It is unclear if both incidents involved the same relative.

Assistant Freeborn County Attorney Abigail Ehret and Estrada’s attorney, Scott Cody, at the hearing referenced a competency evaluation recently conducted by state evaluator Linda Marshall dated Nov. 29, which stated at the end that Estrada does suffer from mental illness and is not able to aid in his defense.

State evaluator Linda Marshall did note, however, that she did not think there was risk of imminent harm.

Estrada had been out of jail since the beginning of November, though on house arrest at the time of the Tuesday stabbing.

Because of the recency of the evaluation, District Court Judge Ross Leuning adopted the findings in both the 2023 case and the new case. Leuning said he found Estrada not competent to proceed due to mental illness and that he was not capable in aiding his defense.

The judge ordered a pre-petition screening be completed to determine whether Estrada should be civilly committed. The criminal proceedings, in the meantime, will be suspended.

Leuning said he could not predict how quickly the screening would be completed and said once that is completed, the matter will be put back on the court calendar as quickly as possible.

Estrada will be held without bail as next steps are taken.