A Ranchos de Taos man has been committed to the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas after he was found not competent to stand trial and a danger to the community.

District Judge Anastasia Martin found Wayne Romero Jr., 47, to be not competent to stand trial in a Dec. 29 order where she wrote that he poses a risk to the community if he were to be released.

He is to spend up to nine months in the state mental hospital to get treatment to obtain competency.

Romero was charged in Rio Arriba County for allegedly threatening a witness and fleeing law enforcement at over 110 mph in a truck he didn’t have permission to drive, while he had been ordered to be held without bail by a Taos judge as a danger to the community for allegedly nearly chopping of a man’s hand with a machete.

Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Diaz charged Romero on March 22 with two counts of witness intimidation and one count each of aggravated fleeing an officer and unlawful taking a vehicle for allegedly threatening a witness and fleeing law enforcement officers.

Romero’s competency was raised on Sept. 3, less than a month after the case was bound over to District Court.

The prosecution and defense filed a joint motion to adopt the conclusions of a forensic report on his competency on Oct. 28, according to the court docket.

Martin held a dangerousness hearing on Dec. 16 for Romero, during which officers from three departments testified and were cross-examined: Officer Marcos Gallegos with the Española Police Department, Sgt. Teodoro Flores with the Taos County Sheriff’s Office and Diaz, with the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office, Martin wrote in the Dec. 29 order finding Romero dangerous.

Martin wrote that she considered the previous dangerousness finding out of Taos County and the testimony of the doctor who found him not competent, Susan Cave.

“The Court considers compelling and relevant the findings of Dr. Cave particularly her statements that the defendant exhibits ‘a low tolerance for frustration indicating a likelihood of becoming agitated and angry in response to stress,’ and that because ‘he may pose a danger to others; thus, commitment for treated competency is strongly recommended,’” Martin wrote.

She wrote that Romero “demonstrates hyper-aggressive behavior,” using the testimony of two of the officers who responded to incidents involving him, including his “attempts to injure officers by striking at them and spitting at them and the Defendant’s causing protracted injury in the nature of great bodily harm to Sergeant Flores by hitting him in the eye.”

Wayne Romero Jr., 47, will spend up to nine months in the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas.