Loudon Avenue Arson Proceedings Postponed

A man facing arson and attempted murder charges in connection with a appeared briefly in court Thursday for an appearance that turned out to be a postponement of scheduled proceedings.

Edvin Giovanni Ceron Reyes, 24, was transported from Jessup to Ellicott City on Nov. 17 for a motions hearing regarding charges including arson and 11 counts of attempted murder.

In August, in connection with a in Harwood Park. Both suspects have been detained at the Howard County Department of Corrections in Jessup without bail since the indictment.

In Howard County Circuit Court on Thursday, Reyes, whose native tongue was Spanish, was accompanied by a translator and his defense attorney, who asked for a postponement of the hearing.

“There have been some recent discussions in the case," said the defense. "I've given him [Reyes] some time to think about them...and he is still thinking about that."

As a result, the motions hearing—where litigators typically argue different points of the case before trial—was postponed to Dec. 20.

"We will be ready to proceed in one way or another," stated the defense.

Wayne Kirwan, spokesman for the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office, told Elkridge Patch there's a possibility the defendant could come to a plea agreement before trial, which may be determined through the motions hearing.

Otherwise, the trial in the case of the State of Maryland vs. Edvin Giovanni Ceron Reyes would proceed on Jan. 10, 2012. The trial would likely last two weeks, according to attorneys.

“We have 11 witnesses and have requested two translators,” said prosecutors, who noted the witnesses spoke Spanish.

Reyes' alleged co-conspirator, Santiago Gonzalez-Miner, has had two motions hearings postponed. His next one is scheduled for Nov. 28 and his trial is set for Dec. 6.