A man accused of aggravated assault against the star of the 1960s Green Hornet television series has been committed to a mental facility.
Involuntary commitment for 47-year-old Howard Joseph Lape was formalized last week at a hearing in Blaine County 5th District Court. Lape will undergo treatment and evaluation at the facility, whose name and location was not available. His progress will be reviewed periodically by the court.
Lape, whose current address is unknown, has had numerous brushes with the law in Blaine County during the past few years. According to court records, the prosecuting attorney's office has filed 17 criminal complaints against him since the beginning of 2003. Eight of them were for alleged traffic-related offenses, but the remainder involved allegations such as aggravated assault, battery, resisting arrest, forgery, theft and disturbing the peace.
Lape was charged with felony aggravated assault and reckless driving for an incident on March 1 involving Van Williams, former star of the 1965-1966 television series "The Green Hornet." Following a minor traffic collision on state Highway 75 south of Ketchum, Lape allegedly threw a 6.5 pound metal fire extinguisher at 73-year-old Williams, who now lives north of Hailey.
Even more recently, Lape was charged on March 7 with misdemeanor telephone harassment for allegedly making threatening and abusive telephone calls to a Ketchum woman.
Lape is also a suspect in a Hailey vandalism case involving a block of ice that was thrown through the windshield of a vehicle that was allegedly in Lape's parking spot.
Lape was arrested in Hailey on March 5 for the alleged telephone harassment.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case by Blaine County Sheriff's Detective Steve Harkins, Lape has a past history of mental illness and has made threats against several other people in the area who are concerned for their safety.
"Lape has threatened bodily harm or death to several people in the community," Harkins wrote. "Due to Lape's mental instability and actions, I believe he is a threat to himself and others."
