The 19-year-old suspected of four murders in Douglas and Washoe counties appeared in Carson Justice Court on Thursday to face 36 counts of burglary, possession of stolen property and illegal possession of firearms.
Wilber Martinez-Guzman sat quietly next to a court interpreter as Justice of the Peace Tom Armstrong read the list of charges that include three felony counts of burglary, 13 of possession of stolen firearms and 13 more of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien as well as seven counts of possession of stolen property and obtaining money by false pretenses.
Armstrong set a preliminary hearing in his court for Feb. 8 at 9:30 a.m., at which time he’ll decide whether to bind Guzman over to Judge Todd Russell for trial in district court.
All of the burglary and possession of stolen firearms charges are Category B felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison. That means if convicted on just those and sentenced consecutively, Guzman could face 150 years in prison before other charges are added. Each count of possession by an illegal alien could get him an added four years prison time.
The criminal complaint filed by Prosecutor Melanie Brantingham on Thursday clearly ties Guzman to three of the four murders, stating all of the firearms and several pieces of jewelry, belt buckles and spurs were stolen from the south Reno home of Jerald and Sherri David, the two victims found shot to death Jan. 16. One was an Elks ring with Jerald David’s initials on it. In addition, several of the counts charge Guzman sold rings and other jewelry from the Gardnerville Ranchos home of Connie Koontz. All of the jewelry was pawned at Northern Nevada Coin in Carson City.
Brantingham said she has no word at this point on when Washoe and Douglas prosecutors will file murder charges. But Guzman isn’t going anywhere since in addition to the $500,000 bail Armstrong set, he’s in the Carson City Jail on a no-bail hold from immigration authorities who say he’s illegally in the U.S. from his native El Salvador.
He’s being represented by state Public Defender Karin Kreizenbeck.