Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho rejected yesterday a bid to modify the bail of a suspect in the stabbing of a poker arcade guard in Dandan, saying, “The money at the poker machine is not worth the life of a person!”
Camacho issued yesterday his order rejecting the motion of Edward Aldan Deleon Guerrero to lower his $75,000 cash bail.
Camacho expressed concern over the randomness and brutality of the attack that happened on midnight Sunday at Skyway Poker.
“The court is concerned that no condition or combination of conditions can guard against such random propensity for brutal violence on members of our community,” the judge said.
Camacho said he is not convinced that 18-year-old Deleon Guerrero will be able to control his propensity for violence and comply with the court's orders and conditions of pre-trial release.
At yesterday's hearing, Deleon Guerrero, through assistant public defender Matthew Meyer, proposed that his parents be named his third party custodians, in addition to a property bond in lieu of the $75,000 cash bail.
In rejecting the motion, Camacho said he understands the parents' desire to assist their son and their hope to have him released into their custody.
Camacho noted, however, that both of the suspect's father and mother have serious physical disabilities that may limit their ability to supervise him.
In addition, Camacho said, the proposed property is not suitable because it is currently being used as collateral in a loan.
Lastly, the judge noted, the proposed location where the suspect was to live is in close proximity to the alleged crime scene, Skyway Café Poker.
It is alleged that Deleon Guerrero went to Skyway Café Poker on Airport Road on Sunday. Using a knife, he allegedly repeatedly stabbed the establishment's security guard, Fernando Martin.
Martin, 48, was taken to the Commonwealth Health Center where he was treated for lacerations on his neck, ear, and right thumb.
The suspect fled the scene but later turned himself in to police. Deleon Guerrero allegedly confessed to a police officer that it was his intention to rob Skyway Café Poker.
Camacho noted that the teenager has no criminal history yet the allegations showed he is capable of committing heinous and violent acts in a cold and calculated manner.
Camacho pointed out that Deleon Guerrero lived with his parents when he allegedly committed these violent acts. “The court is not convinced that the supervision and parental authority of the proposed third party custodians will be enough to control the defendant,” he said.
Camacho said he weighs many factors when considering bail.
In Deleon Guerrero's case, the judge said the court's discretion is focused on the nature and circumstances of the charged offenses and the weight of the evidence.
Here, Camacho said, the defendant allegedly attacked the victim, a person unknown to him, using a deadly weapon, a knife.
Camacho said the defendant allegedly repeatedly stabbed the victim in the neck, “a vulnerable and vital area that can cause death or paralysis.”
He said the defendant allegedly committed the attack as part of his intention to commit the crime of robbery.
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