The transient who shot and killed a man and wounded another at the Extraordinary Desserts restaurant in Hillcrest tried to hang himself April 4 an hour before he was to be sentenced.

Ralph Stephen Garbarini, 46, was rushed from jail to a hospital and was later sent to County Mental Health for an evaluation. His sentencing was delayed until April 18. Garbarini is back in county jail without bail and will be watched more closely in the event he tries to commit suicide again.

Garbarini pleaded guilty June 25 to first-degree murder in the death of Michael Fineman, 44, and the attempted murder of Anthony Koveleski, in the incident at Extraordinary Desserts on Dec. 30, 2006.

The victim’s widow and family members were upset by the delayed sentencing.

“We wanted to see the sentencing go forward. Twice we’ve had to prepare ourselves for this day. It’s horrible,” said Kimberley King, a friend of the widow and spokesperson for the family. “We want our closure. Now we have to wait again.”

In November, a judge found Garbarini mentally incompetent to be sentenced and he was committed to a state mental hospital. After receiving psychiatric medications, he returned to San Diego and a judge found he had regained his mental competency.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser made the announcement Friday to the courtroom that Garbarini had tried to hang himself and had to be rushed to a hospital.

“I want to apologize to both families for this inconvenience,” Fraser said.

Garbarini faces a sentence of 82 years to life in prison.

Both Fineman and Koveleski were dining with their wives when they noticed Garbarini staring at them in the Hillcrest restaurant. They didn’t know him and Fineman spoke with a restaurant staff person who asked Garbarini to leave.

Shortly after, Garbarini returned with a gun and shot Fineman in the head twice and then shot Koveleski. Garbarini fled and the shooting was caught on a restaurant camera.

His picture beside a distinctive pickup truck with a plywood camper shell was published throughout the country, and a story about the crime was aired on “America’s Most Wanted” on Fox in March, 2007.

Two days later, a woman recognized the truck, which had been repainted, parked on a Hollywood street. Garbarini had been living in the truck. She called police and Garbarini was arrested without incident.