Trial date to be set in fatal stabbing case
A trial date will likely be set at the next court hearing for a former corrections officer at the state prison in San Luis who allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death late last year.
In asking for a date to be set, attorney Theodore Abrams of the Yuma County Public Defenders Office, who represents Isaac Abraham Rivera, informed the court that he has been in discussion with the prosecution and he doesn’t believe a plea agreement will be offered to his client.
Abrams added that he has also not received all the evidence in the case yet either, and suggested the trial be held sometime later this year, preferably in the fall.
Rivera, 45, who is being held without bail at the Yuma County jail, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder per domestic violence in the stabbing death of Leticia Martinez.
When asked how long he thought he would need for the trial, prosecutor Josh Salisbury of the Yuma County Attorney’s Office replied eight weeks.
Salisbury further explained that he has a trial in a different matter scheduled to start in March, but if it does not happen, he would be able to try the Rivera case sooner.
After hearing from both counsel, Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson decided to schedule a trial-setting hearing for Rivera for 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 9, adding that Salisbury should know by then whether his upcoming trial would be taking place.
According to Somerton police, officers responded to the 700 block of East Angelica Street at 11:42 p.m. Oct. 26 after receiving a 911 call reporting a stabbing had occurred at the location.
When officers arrived they found a female victim, identified as Martinez, with stab wounds. She was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Information gathered by Somerton police officers during the course of their investigation led to Rivera being identified as a possible suspect. The following day the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office received potential information of Rivera’s whereabouts.
However, since the location that was provided was within city limits, the Yuma Police Department was notified.
A short time later, Yuma police officers arrested Rivera at an undisclosed address without incident. The vehicle he was last seen driving was also located within a mile of the location.