Category: Court News

A Bullhead City man who admits sexually motivated touching of his step-grand daughter asked for probation during his sentencing hearing April 5. Pedro Martinez, 75, told Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle that he hoped to return home to his wife after spending more than a half year in the county jail.     Judge Carlisle ordered a six year prison term and lifelong sex offender registration for Martinez. Martinez pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted molestation of a child under the age of 12.    Bullhead City police spokeswoman Emily Fromelt said the offenses occurred years ago and that…

The former chief of a north Kingman-based rural fire district faces possible incarceration following conviction at trial in Mohave County Superior Court. The jury deliberated for about thirty minutes Friday before finding Wayne Eder, 55, guilty of conflict of interest, a class 6 felony.    Eder was interim chief and was an applicant to be hired as full time chief when he was involved in having a repair shop owned by governing board member Vic Riccardi attempt to fix a Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District (NACFD) brush truck in April, 2017. Authorities alleged Eder was trying to “grease the skids” with Riccardi…

Police have distributed surveillance system images of a suspect who robbed a Bullhead City bank Friday. They show a white male entering the Mission Bank branch at 1455 Palma Way at about 9:30 a.m.   Police say the man who wore a beanie, mask, dark shirt and jeans told a bank teller he had a gun. The bandit fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash, leaving the scene in a silver passenger vehicle.   No one was hurt in the robbery.   Anyone with information is asked to call the Bullhead City police department (928-763-1999).

A judge in Kingman ordered a ten-year prison term last Friday for a Bullhead City woman who failed to protect her young daughter from the man who molested her. Judge Billy Sipe’s sentence for Michelle Torrez, 36, was the maximum possible under terms of a plea agreement convicting her of a reduced charge of attempted child abuse. Torrez was in a relationship with Ciprano Fass, the 33-year-old Bullhead City man who pled guilty to sexual conduct with a minor and to a reduced charge of attempted molestation of her eight-year-old daughter. Authorities alleged the inappropriate touching activity occurred in 2017…

A Kingman man allegedly used multiple instruments to strike his teenage son during a disciplinary session. Deputy Police Chief Rusty Cooper said a school resource officer began investigating when it was discovered that a 13-year-old middle school student had suffered bruising and welts on his lower body.    Cooper said 30-year-old Kenneth Thomas McIntire allegedly struck the victim with a belt, a section of PVC pipe and a metal broom handle. The boy was placed in the protective custody of the Department of Child Safety.    McIntire was arrested on April 4 and booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention facility for…

A burglary spree involving at least 20 victims sends a Golden Valley teenager to the Arizona Department of Corrections for 11.5 years. The prison sentence ordered April 5 was mandated in a plea agreement convicting Austin Ward, 19, of five burglary charges, theft of means of transportation and unlawful flight from law enforcement.    Prosecutor Bob Moon said Ward targeted vehicles, homes and businesses in the Golden Valley and Kingman area during the burglary and theft spree from last September into December. He said some of the stolen property included a vehicle, jewelry, firearms, safe and a laptop computer.    Moon said…