"It was in the evening. And he shook her up and then stabbed her three times in the chest," said his brother Harry Ortiz.

Rueben Ortiz was acquitted of attempted murder by reason of insanity. His mother, Minnie Torres, survived but still bears physical and psychological scars.

"She's 82 and she's very frail," her attorney Eric Seitz said. "For the rest of her life she's going to be terrified of her son."

Ortiz was sent to the Hawaii State Hospital. His medications are monitored and he undergoes therapy.

"According to the reports, Mr. Ortiz is doing extremely well in all phases of his treatment," deputy public defender Ed Harada said.

But Ortiz' family fears without constant supervision, he'll relapse.

"If he's on his own, he won't take his medication," Harry Ortiz said.

In a letter, he told the court that Rueben is a danger to his family and to society.

"He will always be a risk unless he is under medication and unless he is undergoing therapy," Seitz said.

Ortiz relatives are upset he was spotted riding a city bus and they weren't notified that he'd left hospital grounds. A temporary conditional release allows him some freedom with supervision.

"We would go along with a recommendation that we have another six-month review hearing and that temporary conditional release remain as it is," deputy city prosecutor Darrell Wong said.

Ortiz suffers from schizophrenia. Harry Ortiz said even before Rueben attacked his mother he'd shown signs of violence toward relatives. Family members want him under constant watch as long as his mother is alive.

Judge Michael Wilson scheduled the next review hearing for May.

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