STAR-BULLETIN / 2006 Adam Mau, suspected in a triple slaying at Tantalus, faces new assault charges.

Assault added to Mau charges

Adam Mau, charged with the murder of three people, will face additional charges when and if a court deems him mentally competent to stand trial.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Mau with one count of attempted first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault involving a prison guard at Oahu Community Correctional Center in September 2006 while he was awaiting trial in the murders.

"While he was being held at OCCC, he tried to stab an ACO (adult corrections officer) in the eye with a pen and could have caused serious bodily injury," said Vickie Kapp, deputy prosecutor.

Mau is accused of killing taxicab driver Manh The Nguyen at Tantalus lookout July 6, 2006, after Nguyen drove him there, and killing Jason and Colleen Takamori, who were also at the lookout. All three victims were shot.

Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario declared Mau unfit to stand trial in February and committed him to the Hawaii State Hospital based on the assessment of a panel of three court-appointed mental health experts.

Mau was previously diagnosed with paranoid schizo- phrenia, and one expert said he suffers from possible neurodevelopment abnormalities sustained at birth and brain damage from head injuries he suffered when he was 7 and 14.