Hutch man charged in assault case bound over for trial
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 33-year-old Hutchinson man who was taken to jail back in November after an altercation where he allegedly pointed and discharged a gun was bound over for trial Wednesday
Nicholas Espinoza is charged with aggravated assault, criminal possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
He was arrested after Jennifer Rutan told police that Espinoza pointed a gun in her direction as she and her husband drove west on a south side Hutchinson street. He is also alleged to have fired the gun at some point with Hutchinson Police Officer Chad Agnew testifying that as he was responding to a call of someone pointing a gun at vehicles, when a volunteer officer reported he heard what sounded like a gun-shot. They apparently found a spent 40-caliber shell outside the home of Espinoza in the 100 block of East Campbell.
He also testified that the defendant at first denied there were any guns inside the home, but later stated there was a gun on the couch. However, police only found a plastic handgun case on the couch with the handgun found in the basement of the home. They also found some marijuana, so they obtained two piggy back search warrants where they found the guns including a shotgun and a bunch of ammunition.
The defense tried to get the first two charges dropped saying the victim in the case only saw the man standing on the porch with what she thought was a gun as she and her husband drove by, for maybe five seconds and that there is no evidence that the defendant had any control over firearms in the house since it was his mothers home.
But, Judge Joe McCarville found there was probable cause and the case will now go to the court of Judge Trish Rose for arraignment next month.
Espinoza has previous felony convictions for drugs going back to May of 2011. That makes it illegal for him to have any type of weapon.
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Local man formally charged in robbery and battery case
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 24-year-old Hutchinson man arrested back on September 15, after he allegedly battered a woman so severely that she had to be taken to the hospital for treatment has been formally charged.
Justin T. Brown appeared via-video from the Reno County Jail where he was told of the two charges filed by the state which includes aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.
He’s accused of punching the victim in the face with a closed fist, then kicking her when she was on the ground. She was taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of multiple injuries which included a broken arm. He is also accused of taking her wallet by force during the exchange.
He was also arrested on three warrants for other cases, including failing to appear for arraignment for domestic battery and no driver’s license and a pretrial hearing for illegal consumption of liquor.
His bonds total $32,000 and that was left the same.
The new case will now move to a waiver-status docket on October 1, in front of Judge Joe McCarville. He was assigned the Regional Public Defenders Office to represent him.