Man charged in shooting accepts plea offers
Anthony Carbajal Serrano will receive prison term, pay restitution
One of the two suspects charged in connection to the shooting of a 22-year-old Somerton man will be sentenced to prison next month under the terms of both of the plea agreements he pleaded guilty to Wednesday morning in Yuma County Superior Court.
During a change of plea hearing, Anthony Carbajal Serrano pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault in one of the plea offers and one count of misconduct of weapons — for being in possession of a handgun — in the other.
The aggravated assault plea deal stipulates that Serrano be sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison and pay restitution to the person he shot. As for the misconduct plea, it stipulates that he be sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.
It also stipulated that the handgun be forfeited and that the sentence be served concurrently with any sentences Serrano receives in any other case.
Superior Court Judge Brandon Kinsey also explained to Serrano that pleading guilty to the offenses in the plea agreements was considered an automatic violation of his probation and that he would also be sentenced on that original conviction.
Judge Kinsey, who has presided over the cases, then scheduled sentencing for 8:30 a.m. on May 23.
According to Somerton police, officers found out about the July 26 shooting while investigating a traffic accident on Highway 95 at milepost 13. Upon their arrival on scene, officers learned that a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the traffic crash had been shot moments earlier in Somerton.
The victim, a 22-year-old male who had been shot once, was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center by paramedics from the Somerton/ Cocopah Fire Department. He was later airlifted to a medical facility in Phoenix.
The driver of the crashed vehicle was attempting to take the victim to YRMC when the accident occurred.
Investigating officers also learned the shooting had occurred at an address in the 600 block of East Orchid Street in Somerton prior to the traffic crash. Officers responded to the location, which was found to be unoccupied, and the scene was secured for crime scene processing.
During the course of the investigation, Serrano and Martin Guzman were identified as suspects. They were both taken into custody without incident the following day at a residence in the 3100 block of West 17¾ Street in Somerton.