Murder case is delayed until new attorney is appointed
Thursday’s hearing for a man charged in connection to a 2019 fatal shooting had to be postponed again because he still does not have an attorney to represent him.
During the hearing, attorney Paul Abatte, who previously represented Gabriel Aragon, explained that his former client’s case had been transferred to the Superior Court’s conflict administrator for appointment of new counsel.
He said he thought an attorney had been appointed but he has not received a notice of appearance yet confirming that a new attorney is taking over the case.
Prosecutor Joshua Salisbury of the Yuma County Attorney’s Office said Aragon is facing several very serious charges and it has been three months since the court granted Aragon’s request for a new attorney.
“We need to start exploring our options,” Salisbury said.
After hearing from both counsel Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson scheduled Aragon’s next court appearance for 8:30 a.m. on May 12.
He also ordered that Abatte, Salisbury and the court’s conflict administrator appear before him in an in-chambers meeting to discuss the matter.
Aragon has been charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, theft, and theft of means of transportation in the death of 26-year-old Manuel Gonzalez-Bravo.
He has also been charged with hindering prosecution and two counts of criminal damage and remains in custody in the Yuma County jail on a $1 million cash-only bond.
On March 8, 2019, at 4:14 a.m. deputies from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Chevron convenience store at 2003 W. 8th St. in Yuma in reference to a shooting.
When deputies arrived, they found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds in a vehicle parked at the gas pump island. The victim, who was later identified as Gonzalez-Bravo, was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Anthony Guillen, who remains in custody at the Yuma County jail, has also been charged in connection to the case and has a trial scheduled to begin in August.