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Trial Begins In California Man's Alleged Plot To Attack Dearborn Mosque

DETROIT (WWJ) - UPDATE: 10 a.m.: A judge has ordered a competency hearing for a mentally ill Vietnam War veteran accused of planning to attack a Dearborn mosque with fireworks. (More here).

Jury selection in Wayne County Circuit Court gets underway Tuesday morning in the trial of a man accused of traveling to Dearborn from California to plot an attack against a mosque.

Sixty-three-year-old Roger Stockham was arrested in January outside the Islamic Center of America wearing a ski mask.

The arrest came after Stockham, a Vietnam veteran, mentioned an explosion with someone he met in a bar. Stockham's attorney Matt Evans said he meant no harm.

"What he meant was that this was going to be a big event, perhaps like a force, an explosive tale, you  know, that's what he was talking about. In the guy's statement he even said that he was just going to go there to do some graffiti," Evans said.

The Imperial Beach, California resident said he planned to write graffiti on the mosque over his concern about claims that a U.S. helicopter pilot shot civilians in Iraq, according to his attorney.

When Stockham was arrested, police found powerful illegal fireworks in his car. Prosecutors allege Stockham, who has been in and out of jail and psychiatric hospitals for decades, was planning to attack the mosque, but was caught before he could do it.

"There was no doubt he wanted to get some attention, but he didn't even have any matches with him when they arrested him, or a lighter," Evans said.

Why was Stockham wearing a ski mask?

"It was cold. He's from California so he's not used to this weather. So, you know, this happened in January, so he had the ski mask. When they actually pulled him over, he had taken it off," Evans said.

Stockham, who is a Muslim convert, maintains he only meant to protest the Iraq War to fellow Muslims.

He is charged with making a false report or threat of terrorism and possessing explosives with unlawful intent.

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