Continuance OK’d for man accused of firing at police

Thursday’s hearing in Yuma County Superior Court for one of the two men who allegedly shot at three Yuma police officers was for the purpose of setting a trial date — but that did not happen.

Instead, attorney Michael Donovan, who represents Luis German Juarez, requested a 30-day continuance while he works on the case. Juarez, who remains in Yuma County jail on a $250,000 bond, has been charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

He has also been charged with six counts of assisting a criminal street gang and possession of a weapon by a prohibited possessor. Juarez was out of custody on pretrial release for a prior offense when the shooting occurred. Attorney Jerry Hernandez of the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office is representing him in that case.

Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson granted Donovan’s request, scheduling Juarez’s next court hearing for 8:30 a.m. on March 7.

According to Yuma police, the shooting happened at about 10:25 p.m. on Aug. 1 in the area of 22nd Street and Madison Avenue as three officers from the Special Operations Group were at the location documenting gang-related graffiti on a wall and collecting evidence. While there, two male suspects yelled something at the officers from across the street, then suddenly started shooting at them, police said. When officers returned fire, the suspects fled on foot. Both suspects were located and taken into custody.

One of the suspects, 17-year-old Kane Perez, received a single gunshot wound that was considered non-life threatening.