Shooting case hearing postponed again
Delay is the fourth for Somerton man charged with attempted murder
Once again, the change of plea hearing for one of the two suspects charged in connection to the last year’s shooting of a 22-year-old Somerton man was postponed Thursday morning in Yuma County Superior Court.
In asking for the continuance, attorney Michael Donovan, who represents Martin Guzman, explained to the court that while the hearing has already been delayed a number of times, he was asking for one last postponement.
The hearing has already been continued four times dating back to November of 2017, according to Yuma Sun archives, with the most recent hearing being last month.
Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson, who is presiding over the case, granted Donovan’s request and scheduled a new hearing for next month.
A continuance is the postponement of a hearing, trial or other scheduled court proceeding at the request of either or both parties in the case, or by the judge.
Guzman, who is out of custody and appeared telephonically at the hearing, has been charged with attempted 1st-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.
According to Somerton police, officers found out about the July 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 YRMC by the Cocopah/Somerton Fire Department paramedics. He was later airlifted to a medical facility in Phoenix. The driver of that vehicle was attempting to take the victim to YRMC when the crash 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. When officers went to that location it was found to be unoccupied, so the scene was secured for crime scene processing.
Witness information was obtained from several individuals and a description of the suspects and vehicle was broadcast to area law enforcement agencies.
During the course of the investigation, 20-year-old Anthony Serrano and Guzman were identified as suspects. They were both taken into custody without incident on July 27 at a residence in the 3100 block of West 17¾ Street in Somerton.
Serrano, who pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault in one of two plea offers and one count of misconduct of weapons — for being in possession of a handgun — has a mitigation hearing scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on May 30.