BULLHEAD CITY – After separate judges rejected two previous plea agreements deemed too lenient, a third plea deal has been accepted for a Bullhead City man who was charged in separate assault cases. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Rick Lambert also imposed a five year prison sentence for Luis Romero, 26 on August 7.
Lambert told attorneys when he rejected a previous plea on July 23 that he would not approve any deal involving less than five years.
Terms of the agreement dismiss the case involving Romero’s assault of his girlfriend last year, leaving her with badly blackened and swollen eyes. Prosecutor Karolina Czaplinska said the victim is uncooperative and does not want Romero prosecuted for hurting her.
“He’s not a bad person. We went through some problems, but we’ve worked that out,” the woman told Judge Lambert. “I just know that when he comes back home it’s going to be different.”
The prison sentence was ordered for a September 21, 2018 assault of a 22-year-old who was attempting to purchase marijuana in an alley. Romero and two other men jumped the victim before they forced him into a backseat where Romero continued assaulting him as the vehicle drove away, according to a pre-sentence report.
The report stated Romero told the victim they were going to take him to the desert and cut off his fingers before further dismembering him.
Judge Lambert noted the report said the victim was able to escape when the vehicle stopped by the Dollar General on Landon Drive. Lambert said Romero and the other two mask-wearing men got out of the vehicle and beat the victim some more.
Glue and staples were used to close together the most severe gash the victim suffered to his head.
“You beat this man and it seems like you were the ringleader,” Lambert said. He said he had difficulty in deciding who Romero really is; the nice-guy family man as claimed by relatives or the vicious thug outlined in police reports.
