Hearing is delayed for teen charged in drug case
Wednesday’s hearing in Yuma County Superior Court was postponed for one of the two San Luis high school students charged with drug offenses after more than 3,200 pills suspected of being fentanyl were seized on campus. The delay will give her time to consider a plea offer.
Attorney Kristen McManus of the Yuma County Legal Defenders Office requested a short continuance. When asked by Superior Court Judge David Haws to provide the court with an update on the status of the case, McManus explained that she was standing in for 18-year-old Noemi Hernandez-Madrigal’s assigned attorney, and that a plea has been offered in the case, but he has not had the opportunity to discuss it with his client yet.
Since the prosecution did not object, Judge Haws granted McManus’ request and rescheduled the hearing for 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 20.
Hernandez-Madrigal, who appeared with McManus at the hearing, has been charged with possession of a narcotic drug for sale, selling drugs in a drug-free school zone and possession of drug paraphernalia, all of which are felonies.
She remains in custody at the Yuma County jail on a $150,000 cash-only bond.
In the same case, Alessandra Cardenas-Hernandez was charged with possession of a narcotic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a narcotic drug in a drug-free school zone.
Both Hernandez-Madrigal and Cardenas-Hernandez were arrested on June 5 and booked into the Yuma County jail, and their cases have since been transferred to Yuma County Superior Court.
An unidentified 16-yearold male was also arrested, but he was placed in the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center, where he is facing charges.
According to San Luis police, Hernandez-Madrigal allegedly had in her possession three plastic bags containing more than 3,200 blue M30 pills.
Pills were tested at random from each of the three bags and each one tested turned out to be fentanyl. The remaining untested pills are also suspected of being fentanyl.
All three were arrested on campus by school resource officers shortly before 9:30 a.m.
San Luis police believe the drugs were made clandestinely in Mexico and smuggled across the border. An investigation by San Luis police is ongoing.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 5396854. Find him on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.