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A few years ago my stepdad was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is normally a great man, very friendly and outgoing, and would go out of his way to help someone. But once this started to grip his life, things have changed and it is very sad. He does not see things, but hears them.
On the meds he is ok, but off he is in bad shape. He usually thinks himself cured or that the drugs are a ploy of some kind against him and so he quits taking them. He and my mom have since split up, though not formally, and lately he has been scaring her.
He calls her saying things like, "I have spared your life," or blames his ex-wife for his mental conditions believing she had something implanted in his brain. Please don't laugh, it is not funny, it is rather tragic. Some days he just drives by. The other day his own brother had him arrested because of violent behavior. I am very worried for my mother as a result of these things. She does not want to own a gun and is open to pepper spray.
She wants to get him committed somehow but we cannot afford an attorney to do so and the local law enforcement, though they have many voice mails he has left talking about him sparing her life, etc., refuses to do anything. He lives out of his truck as he is a truck driver now. The police said the prosecutor probably could file domestic violence charges, but because he does not have an address they could not serve papers on him and we are out of luck. His brother tried to get a restraining order, but has failed. His father kicked him out of the house when he talked about killing them. So as you can see there are many problems. This is coming from a man who helped me grow up into a responsible man, myself. It is sad to see.
Any advice on how to get him committed or where we can find legal help pro-bono style in NE Ohio?
On the meds he is ok, but off he is in bad shape. He usually thinks himself cured or that the drugs are a ploy of some kind against him and so he quits taking them. He and my mom have since split up, though not formally, and lately he has been scaring her.
He calls her saying things like, "I have spared your life," or blames his ex-wife for his mental conditions believing she had something implanted in his brain. Please don't laugh, it is not funny, it is rather tragic. Some days he just drives by. The other day his own brother had him arrested because of violent behavior. I am very worried for my mother as a result of these things. She does not want to own a gun and is open to pepper spray.
She wants to get him committed somehow but we cannot afford an attorney to do so and the local law enforcement, though they have many voice mails he has left talking about him sparing her life, etc., refuses to do anything. He lives out of his truck as he is a truck driver now. The police said the prosecutor probably could file domestic violence charges, but because he does not have an address they could not serve papers on him and we are out of luck. His brother tried to get a restraining order, but has failed. His father kicked him out of the house when he talked about killing them. So as you can see there are many problems. This is coming from a man who helped me grow up into a responsible man, myself. It is sad to see.
Any advice on how to get him committed or where we can find legal help pro-bono style in NE Ohio?