Charges filed against 3 armed robbery suspects

Criminal complaints were filed Monday in Yuma Justice Court against the three of the five suspects who allegedly robbed one residence and tried to rob another at gunpoint last week.

Appearing in separate hearings, 18-year-old Abel Garcia, 18-year-old Alexander Noriega and 20-year-old Jacob Preciado, were each informed by Justice of the Peace Gregory Stewart of the charges against them.

Each were charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of attempted armed robbery, both of which are felony offenses.

While both Garcia and Noriega both appeared in custody, Preciado appeared out of custody after posting a $15,000 bond.

Attorney Ron Jones appeared on behalf of Garcia, while attorney Bruce Sterling of the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office represented Noriega.

Attorney Ben Schapiro of the Yuma County Legal Defender’s Office stood in for Preciado. In addition to waving the formal reading of the complaints and the further advisement of their client’s rights, they also each asked for court-appointed attorneys for them.

When the matter of bond was addressed in each of the cases, prosecutor Andrew Orozco of the Yuma County Attorney’s Office asked that the bail amounts be substantially increased to $100,000 and reverted from secured to cash-only status.

Calling the circumstances of the incidents “disturbing,” Orozco said one of the defendants admitted that the robberies were a coordinated effort.

He added they should also be considered a danger to the community.

Stewart denied Orozco’s request and ordered the bonds remain at $15,000.

Had Stewart increased the bond amount Preciado would have been taken back into custody.

Stewart also set each of their next court appearances for 4 p.m. on Nov. 5 for preliminary hearings. Their cases will likely go before the grand jury before then.

According to the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 10:43 p.m. on Oct. 27, deputies were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery in the 3000 block of West 8th Street.

When deputies arrived on scene they were told that four masked suspects had entered the victim’s residence and demanded money while displaying firearms.

After receiving an undisclosed amount of money and items, they then ran out of the residence.

The four suspects then went to a neighboring residence and attempted to gain entry. When the victim opened the door, two of the suspects pointed firearms and demanded money.

They fled the area after the victim threatened to call law enforcement.

Moments later, a witness observed a total of five suspects jump a fence into the Ironwood Golf Course and get into a vehicle that was parked on an adjacent canal.

Unbeknownst to the suspects, the witness followed the vehicle and relayed its location until deputies were in the vicinity.

Deputies were able to locate the vehicle and conducted a high-risk traffic stop in the 2600 block of West 8th Street.

Once the vehicle stopped, two of the suspects fled on foot, while the other three were detained by deputies.

Garcia, Noriega and Preciado, all of Yuma, were the suspects who were detained. The other two suspects are still sought at this time.

No injuries were reported and the case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call YCSO 928-7834427 or 78-CRIME to remain anonymous, or visit www.yumacountysheriff.org to submit an anonymous tip.