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Mental exam sought for Roselle man accused of abusing peacock

The attorney for a Roselle man accused of sexually abusing a peacock said Thursday he has doubts about his client's mental fitness and will ask for him to undergo a psychological evaluation.

“Based on not only the alleged conduct but the way he presented himself in court, I think the motion will be granted,” defense attorney Brian Telander said. “He's not rude or threatening, but I think he clearly is disoriented, and I have doubts about his fitness to face the charges.”

The defendant, David Beckmann, made several bizarre comments Thursday to Judge Alex McGimpsey and other parties as he appeared in court dressed in a military-style uniform decorated with medals, according to Telander and other observers.

Assistant State's Attorney Lee Roupas said he will file a motion asking the judge to increase bail for Beckmann, who was released from jail shortly after his May 8 arrest. McGimpsey set that matter for a hearing on Wednesday.

Beckmann, 64, of the 600 block of East Devon Avenue, has three misdemeanor cases pending in DuPage, including one in which he's accused of sexually abusing his pet peacock, Phyl. Authorities said Beckmann admitted to the conduct after the peacock was found dead in his garage.

Companion charges to the animal cruelty case allege Beckmann also solicited sexual contact with a child between the ages of 13 and 17. He is accused of grabbing and pulling at the child's shirt, according to court records.

In another case, Beckmann is charged with making harassing phone calls to Du-Comm, a 911 dispatch center in Carol Stream, and the sheriff's office. Authorities said he called the sheriff's office 154 times since March.

He also faces charges of marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession.

Telander said a fitness evaluation, if granted, would take weeks before any findings are presented in court.

“It's pretty apparent everybody recognizes there's some longtime psychiatric issues,” he said. “The first issue we have to address before anything happens is, is he fit?”