SANDPOINT — A mental health evaluation is being ordered in the case of a Bonner County man charged with attempted murder and burglary, court records show.

Bonner County Magistrate Court Judge Lori Meulenberg ordered Joshua Carl Skandunas to undergo the evaluation at the request of Deputy Public Defender Janet Whitney last month, after unspecified questions arose were raised concerning his ability to assist in his own defense. A competecy review hearing is set for Wednesday, court records indicate.

Skandunas remains held at the Bonner County Jail with bail set at $1 million. An order has been entered forbidding Skandunas from having any form of contact with the alleged victim in the case, according to court documents.

A preliminary hearing to determine whether the state has sufficient evidence to justify a trial at 1at District Court is pending.

Skandunas, 48, is accused of attempting to murder a Sandpoint woman on Aug. 29. He's further accused of entering the woman's apartment with the intent of committing theft, resulting in a burglary charge.

Skandunas was found in an apartment complex with blood on his hands and feet, a probable cause affidavit alleges. He was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and a butcher knife was seized as evidence in the case, records show.

The alleged victim, 32, was located in the parking lot with two stab wounds to her upper torso. She was transported to Bonner General Health with non-life-threatening injuries.

The alleged victim victim told Sandpoint Police that that Skandunas arrived at her apartment to give her a package. He then pulled a knife from behind his back and stabbed her twice in the upper torso. As she ran across the parking lot to a friend’s apartment for help, the suspect chased her with the knife. Her friend let her into her apartment and the suspect forced his way inside behind her. A male at the apartment intervened to prevent a further attack and forced the suspect out, an affidavit said.

The parties are married but estranged at the time of the incident, according to police.

Whitney does not specify what prompted the defense motion for a mental health evaluation. The motion states that Skandunas may not be able to assist in his own defense "based on the facts and circumstances of this case."

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and can be followed on Twitter at @KeithDailyBee.