Man punches two YPD officers

The Yuma Police Department said a man was arrested after he punched two police officers.

The incident happened Wednesday morning around 10:40 a.m. in the 400 Block of First Avenue. A civilian traffic investigator stopped to assist a white vehicle that had stopped in the middle of the road.

When the investigator went to check why the vehicle was stalled the passenger allegedly got upset.

The passenger has been identified as 27-year-old Edward Ornelas, Jr. who acted aggressively against the YPD civilian traffic investigator.

The investigator called for a sworn officer for backup. Ornelas, Jr. started fighting with that officer. Multiple officers showed up, trying to talk to the suspect. Police said that’s when the suspect punched two of the officers. It took several officers to get the suspect under custody. Ornelas has been booked on felony charges of aggravated assault on a police officer into the Yuma County Detention Center.

The two officers injured were taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. They were treated and released.

Police don’t know what prompted the suspect to punch the two police officers.

YPD did reference that Ornelas has a misdemeanor warrant out of municipal court. The criminal record list doesn’t stop there for Ornelas, as he has a grocery list of charges.

After checking records, Ornelas has multiple drug charges, including possessing drug paraphernalia, possessing marijuana for sale. The list includes charges on selling or giving liquor to an underage person.

Ornelas’ list includes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was convicted of negligent homicide.