Aaron Saucedo pleads not guilty to murder charges in Phoenix 'Serial Street Shooter' case
Yihyun Jeong
Aaron Juan Saucedo, the 23-year-old man accused of carrying out the "Serial Street Shooter" killings in Phoenix, has entered a not-guilty plea to the charges in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Saucedo, who was recently indicted in connection with the series of 12 shootings that left nine people dead, did not show up in court Thursday and also waived having the charges read aloud.
The crimes attributed to the Serial Street Shooter spanned from August 2015 to July 2016 and occurred mostly in the Maryvale community of west Phoenix.
Saucedo's latest charges include an additional eight counts of first-degree murder, six counts of drive-by shooting, two counts of attempt to commit first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, endangerment and discharging a firearm at a structure, court records show.
PREVIOUSLY:Aaron Saucedo officially charged in 'Serial Street Shooter' murders
Saucedo had previously been charged with one murder involving the death of his mother's boyfriend in 2015.
Permission for camera coverage of Saucedo's latest arraignment was requested by a coalition of Arizona news organizations. Saucedo's attorneys objected.
The defense argued Thursday before the arraignment that the media coverage would cause harm to their client's case. They also argued that the request had not been filed in a timely manner and that an evidentiary hearing must be held.
David Bodney, an attorney for The Arizona Republic and other media outlets, said the defense holds the burden of proof that any potential harm to Saucedo's cause would outweigh the public benefits, as the case is one of "acute public interest."
Commissioner Richard Nothwehr ultimately granted the camera coverage, citing images of Saucedo had already been circulated in the public. In return, Saucedo's appearance was waived, along with the reading of the charges.
"The defense said that 'nothing significant would come out of it anyway,' " Bodney told The Republic. "I disagree that nothing significant could possibly come out of the arraignment of an accused serial killer."
In May, The Republic and other news organizations challenged a judge's order that kept secret the documents justifying the arrest of Saucedo.
The documents were then unsealed and revealed that the evidence detectives are using to build a case against Saucedo hinges on the guns he owned at the time of the crimes, when he bought them and where the bullets ended up.
Saucedo's next court hearing has been set for Aug. 16.
Staff reporter Megan Cassidy contributed to this article.
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