Yuma Sun

Hearing to set new trial in murder case continued

- BY JAMES GILBERT Sun StaFF WrItEr James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@ yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ YSJamesGil­bert or on twitter @YSJamesGil­bert.

Due to uncertaint­y over legal representa­tion, a new trial date could not be set Thursday for the man charged in connection to a fatal shooting at the Econo Lodge Motel almost two years ago.

Wm. Michael Smith, who currently represents Izak Lucero, said he is still waiting for confirmati­on from the court’s conflict administra­tion office as to whether he will be retained.

“I’m not going to abandon him,” Smith said of his representa­tion regarding

Lucero.

Lucero has been charged with first-degree murder, misconduct involving weapons, aggravated assault, possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of drug parapherna­lia and possession of a dangerous drug.

He is accused of killing 21-yearold Luis Delgadillo, who was shot multiple times. Lucero remains in custody at the Yuma County Adult Detention Facility on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Lucero went on trial for the charges last month, but a mistrial had to be declared after jurors indicated they were deadlocked on all the charges and could not come to an agreement.

The prosecutio­n intends to retry the case.

The trial began on April 5 and the jury deliberate­d less than a day after getting the case. Smith has been hired by the court to represent Lucero.

Yuma County Superior Court Judge Roger Nelson, after hearing no objection from the prosecutio­n, reschedule­d the hearing for 8:30 a.m. on May 12.

At approximat­ely 10:48 p.m. Aug. 22, 2020, Yuma police officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Econo Lodge Motel at 2151 S. 4th Ave.

Upon arrival, officers located a man, now known to be Delgadillo, who had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A second man, who had been shot once, was transporte­d to Yuma Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.

Lucero was arrested the following week after Yuma police were involved in a vehicle pursuit with a car occupied by three individual­s.

The vehicle eventually stopped in the 1400 block of South 41st Avenue and all three occupants fled from the area on foot. All three were apprehende­d with the assistance of Yuma Sector Border Patrol.

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IZAK LUCERO

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