Court to Examine Competency of Suspected Toto's Pizzeria Carjacker

The man who allegedly a mother and child in the parking lot near Toto's Pizzeria in May and told them, may not be competent to stand trial.

Stephan Thomas Allen, 20, is in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail for the May 17 incident, though on Friday his attorney asked the court to lower Allen’s bail or release Allen on his own recognizance.

The court denied the defense motion. Allen’s attorney then expressed doubt whether his client could stand trial and the court agreed to suspend criminal proceedings while Allen’s competency is questioned.

The case was continued to June 9 when two doctors will be appointed to evaluate Allen.

Allen pleaded not guilty to the carjacking in San Mateo County Superior Court on May 18, the day after the alleged crime.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Allen approached the victim while she was sitting in her silver 2001 Honda Civic with her 5-year-old daughter in the back seat at about 9 p.m. on May 17.

The woman's husband was inside the restaurant, located at 1250 El Camino Real, picking up a pizza, according to prosecutors.

Allen allegedly entered the car through the unlocked passenger door and told the woman to drive. "Someone's out to kill me," he reportedly told her.

The woman pulled her keys out of the ignition, and Allen pushed her on the shoulder and ordered her out of the car, prosecutors said.

She told Allen he could have the car if she could take her daughter out. After the woman removed her daughter, Allen drove away in her car, according to prosecutors.

The woman ran into the pizzeria and called the police.

The Police Department then issued a countywide call to other law enforcement agencies, alerting them to the situation.

Allen was at about 2 a.m. May 18 sitting inside the Honda Civic while it was pulled over on the Broadway overpass of U.S. Highway 101 in Burlingame, Wagstaffe said. The car had apparently run out of gas.

Allen has not yet had his preliminary hearing.