Riddle

BACKGROUND

At approximately 11:30 p.m. on May 12, 2023, Riddle was high on methamphetamine and woke his sister by banging on the wrought iron gate to her home. She looked out her front door and saw her brother set her doorbell on fire. She extinguished the flames with a container of water. Riddle started another fire in the street gutter, and his sister called the fire department. She was worried about the amount of brush and the possibility that the fire would spread to a tree. The People charged Riddle with arson of an inhabited structure (§ 451, subd. (b)) and alleged that he had suffered a prior strike conviction (§§ 667, subds. (b)-(i), 1170.12), specifically, a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon (§ 245, subd. (a)(1)). In November 2023, Riddle requested mental health diversion under section 1001.36. He stated that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and substance abuse disorder. He had received substance abuse treatment and maintained his sobriety for five months. He was chronically homeless without a support system but did receive public assistance. His motion attached an assessment by a mental health professional noting, among other things, his long…