Yuma man gets 7.5 years for 2024 shooting injuring victim

A Yuma man will serve 7.5 years in prison after admitting he shot a man twice near Arizona Avenue and West 32nd Street, ending a case that began with attempted first-degree murder allegations and moved through a plea deal instead of a trial.

Lorenzo Casillas, 36, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, and the court sentenced him Thursday, May 21, 2026, to the presumptive term of 7.5 years. Prosecutors had initially filed three charges, including attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument. Before the plea, Casillas’s bond was set at $1 million.

Police were called at about 1:50 a.m. on May 9, 2025, to Arizona Avenue near West 32nd Street after a man was found with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a Phoenix hospital and survived. The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office inmate record lists Casillas as Lorenzo Melano Casillas and shows he was booked on May 15, 2025, at 3:40 p.m. at the Yuma County Detention Center.

The sentence shows how violent gun cases can be narrowed from the most serious charges to a negotiated outcome while still ending in prison time. Under the plea, Casillas faced a statutory range of five to 15 years, but the court imposed the expected prison term tied to the agreement.

For residents near Arizona Avenue, the outcome brings a measure of closure in a case that left one man injured and moved through the court system for more than a year. It also underscores that shootings on a major Yuma corridor can carry lasting consequences even when prosecutors resolve the case before trial.