Man accused of San Luis burglaries changes plea
A Yuma County Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday morning that a San Luis man arrested in a string of burglaries is mentally competent to stand trial on the charges against him.
Judge Brandon Kinsey made his ruling at the start of a hearing in which Ivan Vieyra pleaded guilty to one count of burglary under a plea deal offered to him by the prosecution.
Vieyra, who remains in custody at the Yuma County jail on $5,000 bail, had been charged with theft of means of transportation, burglary and theft, all of which are felonies. He is being represented by attorney Kris Moe, of the Yuma County Public Defenders Office.
In return for Vieyra’s guilty plea, the theft of means of transportation and theft charges against him were dismissed.
Judge Kinsey talked Vieyra through the change of plea, making sure he understood what was happening. He also informed him that while probation is available, the plea stipulated he could receive a prison sentence ranging from two years to eight years and nine months.
Kinsey continued by saying it also stipulated that he pay restitution up to $50,000 and the prosecution will not allege any aggravating factors to enhance the sentence.
Vieyra, who has been in the Yuma County jail’s restoration to competency program since his arrest last year, is scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m. on March 21.
In July of 2017, San Luis police responded to a report of a residential burglary in the 200 block of Independence Street in which the suspects took multiple household items and stole a vehicle from the residence.
A few hours later, the vehicle was located by the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office at the 300 block of May Avenue in Yuma, and the suspects were arrested.
A co-defendant in the case, Jesus Arbizo was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in November of 2017 and given credit for 109 days previously served for one count of burglary.