Trial date is set for suspect in 2019 homicide here

One of the two suspects charged in connection to the 2019 shooting in the parking lot of a convenience store, in which one man was killed, turned down a plea offer which would have sent him to prison for between 16 to 25 years.

Instead, Anthony Guillen, who is represented by attorney Wm. Michael Smith, opted to take his chances with a jury and now faces life in prison if convicted.

Guillen is charged with first degree murder, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, theft of means of transportation, burglary and two counts of criminal damage.

Prosecutors had offered Guillen a deal to plead guilty to second degree murder rather than a life sentence he was facing on his current charges.

Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson questioned Guillen about his decision to reject the state’s plea, wanting to make sure he was aware of the risks of taking his case to trial.

The prosecution also asked for a Donald hearing in which Guillen was informed that in addition to the life sentence, he also faces more than a combined 50 years in prison on the remaining five charges.

After Guillen rejected the plea offer, Nelson scheduled Guillen’s trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, to begin at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2022. A final pretrial hearing was also set for 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2022.

On Friday, March 8, 2019, at approximately 4:14 a.m. deputies from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Chevron convenience store at 2003 West 8th St.

When deputies arrived, they found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds sitting in a vehicle parked at the gas pump island.

The victim, who was later identified as 26-year-old Manuel Gonzalez-Bravo, was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Guillen, who was arrested on Aug. 5, 2020, had been in custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections on unrelated charges and transferred to the Yuma County jail to face charges in this case.

Gabriel Alexander Aragon, who also remains in custody at the Yuma County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond, has also been charged in connection to the case.