Man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston found mentally incompetent for trial

BEL AIR, LOS ANGELES — A man accused of stalking Jennifer Aniston and crashing his vehicle into the front gate of her Bel Air residence was deemed mentally unfit for trial, but requested a second opinion during a court session on Thursday.

Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, a 48-year-old resident of Mississippi, was present in custody behind glass at a Hollywood courthouse that focuses on mental health cases. He had a long gray beard and was dressed in a thick blue smock typically used by jails for suicide prevention.

A psychiatrist appointed by the county who assessed Carwyle concluded that he was not competent, Deputy Public Defender Robert Krauss explained to the judge while standing near his client, separated by glass. However, Krauss indicated that Carwyle, exercising his right, sought evaluation from another psychiatrist.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maria Cavaluzzi ordered the reevaluation and set another hearing for May 29.

Krauss declined comment outside court, as did the prosecutor handling the case and an attorney observing the hearing on behalf of Aniston.

Prosecutors allege Carwyle had been harassing the “Friends” star with a flood of voicemail, email and social media messages for two years before driving his Chrysler PT Cruiser through the gate of her home on May 5, causing major damage.

He pleaded not guilty to felony stalking and vandalism at his first court appearance, where a judge paused the criminal proceedings so he could undergo the psychological evaluation.

Carwyle remains jailed, but he is under a judge’s order not to contact or get near Aniston.

Authorities said Aniston was home at the time of the gate crash, but he did not come into contact with her. A security guard stopped him in her driveway until police arrived. No one was injured.

Carwyle also faces an aggravating circumstance of the threat of great bodily harm. If convicted, he could get up to three years in prison. If Carwyle is found incompetent again, the judge could order him to be sent to a state mental hospital for treatment and ongoing evaluation.

Other than asking for the protective order for Aniston, prosecutors have not given their position on Carwyle’s competency status, and did not speak at Thursday’s hearing.

Aniston became one of the biggest stars in television in her 10 years on NBC’s “Friends.” She won an Emmy Award for best lead actress in a comedy for the role, and she has been nominated for nine more. She currently stars in “The Morning Show” on Apple TV+.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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