Hearing continued for man charged in robbery at Foothills truck stop
A man charged with felony counts of armed robbery and aggravated assault for allegedly robbing a Foothills truck stop with a knife had his hearing in Yuma County Superior Court on Tuesday continued until next month.
When asked to provide the court with an update on the status of the case, attorney Cynthia Brubaker of the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office requested that the hearing be postponed. She said that she was in the process of meeting with the attorneys who handled a similar mental competency case as her client’s.
Brubaker represents Jimmy McMullin, who has undergone a mental competency evaluation in which a psychologist determined he was restorable, but was not yet competent to stand trial.
During a previous hearing for McMullin, which was held in June, Brubaker informed the court that she had spoken with the psychologist, who told her about another potential method for restoring her client’s competence, one that did not include placing him in Yuma County jail’s restoration to competency program.
The reason Brubaker gave for requesting the continuance is that she wanted to speak with the attorneys about their case and to learn more about the potential method. She added that she also wanted to make sure it was appropriate for her client.
Since the prosecution offered no objection, Superior Court Judge Brandon Kinsey granted Brubaker’s request for a continuance and rescheduled the next hearing for 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 10.
Judge Kinsey has not ruled on McMullin’s competency status yet. Competence, in legal terms, means that the defendant is aware of the proceedings against him or her and is able to assist a defense attorney.
McMullin, who was on probation at the time he allegedly committed the armed robbery, also has two other cases pending against him, one of which is a probation violation. All three cases are being handled together.
According to the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the Flying J Travel Plaza at 10800 N. Frontage Road at about 10:30 p.m. Nov. 18, 2018, after a report of an armed robbery.
Upon arrival, deputies learned that an unknown male suspect — wearing all black clothing and armed with a large knife — entered the store, jumped over the counter, displayed the knife to the cashier, and demanded money.
The cashier cooperated with the robber’s demand and was uninjured.
The suspect, later identified as McMullin, then fled the business with an undisclosed amount of money.
During their investigation, detectives located evidence that led them to a home in the 10700 block of South Amber Drive, where McMullin was taken into custody.