One of four men suspected of storming into a house and killing an occupant in a marijuana heist gone bad indicated Wednesday he is close to striking a plea agreement in the case.
Daniel Nelson Wright, 20, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday, saying the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has made a plea offer that he is considering. Had he gone through with the preliminary hearing – in which prosecutors must present enough evidence to convince a judge that a crime was committed and the defendant is connected with it – the plea deal could have been taken off the table.
Details of the proposed plea agreement were not made public Wednesday.
Wright is charged with first-degree murder, burglary, robbery and menacing.
He and three co-defendants – Kodi “Maz” E. Kuauhtli, 19, of Phoenix; Alvin Noel Flores, 22, of Phoenix; and Kuauhtleko Garcia, 21, of Scottsdale, Arizona – are suspected of breaking into a townhome with masks and guns in an effort to rob Samuel Xarius Gordon, 20, of his nine pounds of illegal marijuana and nearly $20,000 in cash.
The incident occurred shortly after 3:30 a.m. May 24 at 253 Jenkins Ranch Road in the SkyRidge subdivision.
Prosecutors said one of the suspects shot and killed Gordon during the robbery, but they have not revealed which of the men is suspected of pulling the trigger.
Flores has been ordered to trial, and preliminary hearings are pending for Kuauhtli and Garcia.
Wright’s family members have attended nearly every court hearing since his arrest.
