A 35-year-old Marshall man who was arrested following a high-speed pursuit through multiple counties on January 3 and is facing felony charges in two different counties is due in an area courtroom in a couple of weeks.
A probable-cause statement says Knob Noster Police officers responded to the report of shots fired, and 39-year-old Quincy Thomas, who had suffered a single gunshot wound to his abdomen, was transported to a hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
One of the suspects who fled the scene was identified as Luis Lerma. He was located in Saline County, and when Saline County deputies attempted to stop a vehicle, a pursuit through Marshall ensued. Lerma jumped out of the moving car at Pinewood Circle. He wasn’t located at that time but turned himself in a few days later in Johnson County, where he has been charged with multiple felonies, including a Class A Felony for Assault in the First Degree; a Class D Felony for Endangering the Welfare of a Child; a Class E Felony for Unlawful Use of a Weapon; and an Unclassified Felony for Armed Criminal Action. The court has ordered no bond.
On March 4, Lerma waived his preliminary hearing, and his case was bound over to circuit court in Johnson County. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday, March 23, at Johnson County Circuit Court.
In Saline County, Lerma has been charged with a Class E Felony for Resisting Arrest by Fleeing; property-damage and driving-related misdemeanors and an infraction. Bond has been set at $10,000 cash.
Lerma’s initial hearing still is pending at Saline County Circuit Court is pending.