In our lats segment, we told you about the police meet and greet in the Krooman Lagoon area following the chopping and fire over the weekend. Police were able to arrest two of the three assailants and today, they were arraigned in court. The accused are 19-year-old Abel Martinez, who says he is a cook at a well known restaurant, and the other is Hilberto Ruiz.
In Martinez's case, he was read a single charge of wounding upon Freddy Itza. The prosecutor in the case objected heavily to bail but Martinez's attorney Leeroy Banner submitted that his client's crime was not that serious, or else he would have been charged with a greater offense. The magistrate decided to grant bail in the sum of $1,000 plus one surety of the same amount, along with stringent conditions, including not being able to contact any of the witnesses and having to report once a week to the Racoon Street police station.
The second accused man, Ruiz, was in court this afternoon on a single charge of wounding on 32-year-old Violeta Singh. The prosecutor also objected to bail but Ruiz's attorney, Orson "OJ" Elrington stepped in, and that's when Ruiz changed his not guilty plea to guilty. The magistrate then imposed a non custodial sentence of a fine of $1,200 plus a $5 cost of court fine. Ruiz must pay by April 29th 2022 or in default of payment, 5 months imprisonment. The Magistrate also ordered that Ruiz, who was in debt to the court in the sum of $650, also pay $300 before he could post bail, which he did. Ruiz has had two convictions in the past for displaying gang insignia and for possession of a controlled drug.
