Motel shooting suspect pleads not guilty to first degree murder charge

A man charged with first degree murder plead not guilty to charges on Monday in front of a Yuma County Superior Court judge.

Steven Phillip Brown, 37, is also being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The public defender, Mr. Eugene Marquez, who was standing in just for today’s hearing, also requested Judge David M. Haws for a condition of release.

Brown, who is in custody, was charged for the murder of Perla Sanchez , stemming from an incident that happened on June 30 on the 1600 block of Riley Avenue.

Police said when they arrived they found one woman with a single gunshot wound in a parking lot near Super 8 Motel.

She was later transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center and was pronounced deceased.

Brown is expected to be back in court for his case management conference on August 16.

His conditions of release hearing is set for July 26.