Man who killed step-brother in Garden Grove found not guilty by reason of insanity

An Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that a man who stabbed his step-brother to death at a Garden Grove apartment is not guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge John D. Conley determined that Andres Adolfo Serrat, 29, committed second-degree murder when he killed 20-year-old Donte Barcelo. But the judge accepted the determination by several psychologists that Serrat was insane at the time of the slaying.

Serrat has a history of paranoid schizophrenia, said Jacob DeGrave, the public defender who represented him.

“The hospital is the right place for him,” DeGrave said. “I’m just happy he is going to get some treatment.”

Police shortly after 6 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2015 received a call from a woman who said her son had been stabbed inside a unit at an apartment complex in the 13200 block of Casa Linda Lane.

Officers arrived to find Barcelo bleeding from stab wounds to his chest and side. His mother told officers that Serrat, her step-son, had stabbed Barcelo with a kitchen knife before dropping the blade and running away. Police located Serrat a few blocks away.

It isn’t clear what, if anything, led to the apparent fight between the step-brothers.

The judge ordered another mental health examination of Serrat be conducted before its decided what hospital he will be sent to. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 14.