Plea offer withdrawn in armed robbery case
The Yuma County Attorney’s Office withdrew a plea offer made to the man charged in connection to an armed robbery and vehicle pursuit during a hearing in Yuma County Superior Court, because he had missed Tuesday’s deadline.
Tuesday’s hearing began with Attorney Michael Donovan, who represents Adrian Guzman, informing the court that he planned on it being a change-of plea hearing, but was instead asking for a week’s continuance.
He explained that he had spoken with the prosecutor assigned to the case prior to the hearing and needed to shore up some final details they discussed before his client could accept it.
However, the prosecutor who was covering the hearings on the calendar responded by saying the case notes indicated that the assigned prosecutor asked that a Donald hearing be held and a trial date set if Guzman declined the plea offer.
Superior Court Judge Stephen Rouff, who was presiding over the case, then asked Donovan if he still the wanted continuance. Donovan responded he did, adding that he would speak with the assigned prosecutor again, to make sure that the notes on the case file were written prior to their latest conversation.
As such, Rouff granted Donovan’s request for a continuance and scheduled the next hearing for 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 6.
Guzman, who remains in custody at Yuma County jail on a $200,000 cash-only bond, has been charged with eight felony offenses in a June robbery of a UPS facility located at 2851 S. Ave. 2½ E, including one count of unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement. with He has four assault, also counts been one of count charged aggravated of armed robbery, one count of aggravated robbery, and one count of possession of a weapon by a prohibited possessor. According to Yuma police, at about 8:30 p.m. on May 30, officers were sent to the UPS facility in reference to a robbery.
Officers learned that two male subjects attempted to steal packages from the facility. During the incident, a handgun was also pointed at employees and the suspects left with several packages.
The suspects fled the scene in a dark passenger car. Witnesses were able to obtain the car’s license plate number.
Approximately 30 minutes later, officers spotted the vehicle in the area of Araby Road and 24th Street and attempted to pull it over, but the driver refused to stop.
A pursuit then ensued, during which stop sticks were deployed. The vehicle was eventually brought to a stop on the 16th Street exit ramp from Interstate 8, where officers performed a high-risk vehicle stop.
Guzman was reportedly the sole occupant of the vehicle and was taken into custody.