Charges filed against man in attempted homicide case
The suspect in an attempted homicide reported over the weekend appeared in Yuma County Justice Court Tuesday, where six charges were filed in what’s now being considered a domestic violence incident.
Randy Munoz of Yuma appeared before Justice of the Peace Gregory Stewart, where the six charges he is facing were read to him: two for attempted firstdegree homicide, two for aggravated assault-domestic violence, and two for aggravated assault.
During the hearing Munoz’s age was stated as 23, but the initial press release about the incident from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office said he is 29.
Stewart ordered him to be held on $250,000 bail, agreeing with the Yuma County Attorney’s Office’s recommendation. “I’m comfortable with that,” he said.
Munoz’s next court appearance was set for 4 p.m. Dec. 12.
Deputy county public defender Cynthia Brubaker, representing Munoz, said he “adamantly denies all of the charges,” and requested he be released on his own recognizance or be given a low bond, emphasizing his young age and lack of any prior criminal record.
She said Munoz has children to care for, and noted that prosecutors stated their recommendation was due to the seriousness of the charges, but said many aggravated assault suspects are released.
“If everyone who had a serious charge against them was held while the case was in process, then everybody would be in jail.”
The suspect’s brother, Guillermo Munoz, spoke in support of him. “He takes care of his kids, he takes care of everybody in the family and we need him at home,” Guillermo Munoz said. He also made statements about the case.
Randy Munoz only spoke once, replying “yes sir” to Stewart after the judge read the conditions of his release, if the bond amount can be paid.
According to the sheriff’s office, the incident occurred about 11 a.m. Saturday in the 10800 block of North Frontage Road, and it was initially described as a possible “road rage” case.
The driver of a white Ford F150 truck had fired multiple shots into a Jeep Cherokee, YCSO said. Two victims, a male and a female, had been shot and were taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center, then flown to a Phoenix area hospital for treatment. Munoz was arrested shortly afterward near his home.
YCSO spokesman Alfonso Zavala said Tuesday that investigators later learned Munoz is the ex-boyfriend of the female victim. He said the sheriff’s office still believes the suspect is 29 years old, not 23.
The victims are still being treated at the Phoenix hospital for their injuries, Zavala said.