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The 16-year-old girl charged with slashing the neck of a 75-year-old Berkeley woman will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and remain in custody, her attorney said Thursday. 

“I think there are signs that an exam is needed before we proceed,” said Assistant Public Defender Mike McCormick. 

The 16-year-old, identified as “Marilyn,” made her first appearance in juvenile court Wednesday. She will return before the judge next Wednesday after results of the tests are known. 

The girl has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon for the attack. According to authorities, while walking on the 1200 block of Euclid Avenue on the evening of March 16, she grabbed the victim by the neck and slashed her throat with an eight-inch kitchen knife. 

The victim was treated in intensive care for two days after the attack and is recovering at her North Berkeley home. 

Assistant District Attorney Walter Jackson said the girl has refused to speak to authorities. Jackson had filed a motion to try the girl as an adult, but said he could still choose to withdraw it.  

“I’m still deciding how this case is best handled,” he said. 

If the girl is charged as a juvenile, and convicted, she would be up for release from the California Youth Authority on her 25th birthday, McCormick said. As an adult, she faces a maximum of life in prison. 

Neither attorney offered details of the girl’s background or whether she has a criminal history. McCormick said the judge ordered her to remain in custody because she was considered a flight risk and a danger to others. 

Jackson did confirm that the BMW the victim and her companion fled in belonged to the victim’s companion. The companion has not been charged in the case.›