Man who blamed killing of coworker on 'a witch' committed to psychiatric hospital

A man who told police that he fatally stabbed a co-worker because "a witch told him" that the co-worker intended to shoot him was committed Thursday to a psychiatric hospital.

Jan Tolentino, 20, will be under court supervision for the rest of his life.

Earlier this month, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan found Tolentino, who was charged with murder and felonious assault, not guilty by reason of insanity. On Thursday, Shanahan said that based on reports by mental health experts, Tolentino is mentally ill.

Under state law, Shanahan said, because Tolentino faced a maximum of life in prison, the court will maintain jurisdiction over him for the maximum term he would have faced had he been convicted of the murder charge.

He will be held at Summit Behavioral Healthcare in Roselawn once a bed becomes available. He is now being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

Tolentino was 18 when he stabbed 32-year-old Paris Dismukes at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse at the former Tri-County Mall.

The stabbing happened the night of Aug. 11, 2022. Dismukes had only been working at the restaurant for a few days, his father, Barry Cobb, told The Enquirer.

Cobb said his son was working as a dishwasher and was carrying a pile of dishes when Tolentino stabbed him at least 25 times. Dismukes bled to death on the floor, Cobb said.

When a Springdale police officer arrived at the restaurant, Tolentino, his brother and their mother were at the entrance, according to court documents. The officer was told that Tolentino "needs help."

Tolentino told the officer, according to the documents, that "a witch had told him that (Dismukes) was going to shoot him in the head … so that was why he stabbed him."

Cobb said he believes Tolentino was on drugs, possibly methamphetamine at the time, and that the killing was premeditated. He doesn't believe Tolentino should have been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

"There's no justice behind (the outcome)," Cobb said. "My son didn't deserve to die like that."