Psychiatric evaluation ordered for suspect in Nellis incident
The man who drove onto Nellis Air Force Base in a U-Haul truck with what he claimed were explosives was ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation after a bizarre appearance in a federal courtroom today.
Anhwar Telly Young, 30, stood handcuffed in front of U.S. District Judge Peggy Leen and refused to speak. The Fresno, Calif., man stared at the floor in his white Adidas T-shirt and sagging bluejeans, with his blue-and-white-striped boxer shorts showing.
Leen asked him several questions, including his name, and noted for the record each time that he did not respond.
Finally, Leen explained to him that she was there for his benefit.
“I know that this is a difficult situation for you. ... Is there something you want to say to me?” she asked.
Young then wiped his eyes with a sleeve of his shirt.
Leen repeated her original questions, and Young began to nod or shake his head in response to some of them.
He nodded his head “yes” when asked whether his name was correct and whether he had the ability to speak.
He shook his head “no” when asked whether he understood where he was and why he’d been arrested.
When Leen asked whether he had been on any medications, he nodded his head “yes.” But he shook his head “no” when she asked whether he could say what those medications were.
His lawyer told Leen that Young had refused to speak with her prior to the court appearance.
He didn’t make eye contact with anybody.
Young’s incident prompted a two-hour shutdown of the base Thursday afternoon. Authorities said he speeded past the security checkpoint at the north entrance of the base about 1:40 p.m. and drove to the Thunderbirds hangar, where he stopped.
According to the criminal complaint, he held a white cloth to his face as he drove past security.
When he stopped, he refused to speak but passed notes from inside the cab of the truck to security personnel. He indicated he had no weapons and wanted to leave the base, according to the complaint.
He then explained that he had an explosive in the back of the truck made up of two types of fluids mixed together in several canisters, according to the complaint.
He wrote that the explosives would detonate in 2 1/2 hours, or could be detonated by any radar equipment on the base, the complaint states. He kept looking at the U-Haul’s dashboard clock, “indicating time was expiring,” according to the complaint.
At one point he told security personnel he wanted to die.
At 2:45 p.m. he tossed his keys outside the cab and allowed himself to be arrested.
There were no explosives in the truck.
The base was reopened an hour later.
Young is being charged with threatening to kill or cause damage by an explosive, according to the complaint.
Young has no significant criminal record in Fresno. He was arrested for a misdemeanor resisting a police officer and a traffic violation in February.
Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.
