An arraignment for Benjamin George Bonner was continued Friday to Jan. 12 for a pending mental health evaluation.

Bonner, 18, of Bainbridge Island is charged in the May 4 beating death of 71-year-old family friend Cynthia Little at Little’s Sunland residence near Sequim.

The arraignment was postponed to allow time for Bonner to be evaluated by a defense psychologist.

Clallam County Superior Court Judge Erik Rohrer reset the arraignment for 9 a.m. Jan. 12.

Bonner is charged with second-degree murder for Little’s death.

He is also charged with first-degree animal cruelty and first-degree robbery for allegedly killing Little’s pet dog and driving Little’s vehicle back to Bainbridge Island.

Bonner was ordered in May to take an anti-psychotic medication to restore his competency to stand trial.

He was found competent to stand trial after taking olanzapine during a supervised stay at Western State Hospital in Lakewood.

Bonner allegedly confessed to the murder in a Nov. 27 letter to a Clallam County Superior Court judge.