No charges filed in case of San Luis grocer
The owner of a south county grocery store who allegedly was secretly videotaping customers while they were using the bathroom is no longer facing any charges - at least for now.
During his arraignment in Somerton Justice Court on Thursday, Judge Manuel Figueroa informed Raad Shaaia that the Yuma County Attorney's Office did not file a criminal complaint against him.
Shaaia was arrested Tuesday by San Luis police after a woman discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom of the Quality Market on Main Street.
Yuma County Attorney Jon Smith explained the reason his office did not file a formal complaint against Shaaia is that they had nothing to go on.
He said his office did not receive any reports on the case until after 10 a.m. Thursday morning, which was after Shaaia was already in court.
"The case has been assigned to a prosecutor and is pending review to determine whether charges should be filed," Smith said.
Smith added although no complaint was filed within the required 48-hour deadline required by law, prosecutors can still file charges against Shaaia and may do so sometime on Monday.
Police identified Shaaia as the primary suspect in an investigation being conducted by the San Luis Police Department.
---
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
