Hearing postponed for bomb threat suspect

NEWPORT BEACH — An Orange County Superior Court judge granted a request to postpone a court date for a man accused of engaging in a five-hour standoff with Laguna Beach police and county SWAT team officers Feb. 6.

Edward Ernest Uribe of Carson faces nine criminal charges, including being a prior felon possessing a gun, and making a false claim to a peace officer that he had a bomb. He appeared in court Friday at the Harbor Justice Center with his attorney present for the preliminary hearing.

Orange County Public Defender Edward Eisler asked Judge Andre Manssourian to postpone the next court date until March 15 due to a “prior issue we discussed.” Manssourian asked Eisler to come to the bench for a brief conference before addressing the court.

Uribe, 41, wore a pale orange jumpsuit and stood behind a caged area. Manssourian told him that he would waive his right to a preliminary hearing if the next court date was March 15 because it would be more than 10 court days from arraignment. Uribe was arraigned Feb. 8.

Uribe said, “I understand.”

Eisler was brief in his comments following Manssourian’s ruling.

“I can’t say why [I asked to postpone until a later date],” Eisler said. “This is a sad case for all concerned.”

Uribe, 41, originally pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, but as of Friday the count total was reduced to nine, seven of them felonies, according to the Orange County Superior Court website.

Misdemeanor charges against him include resisting a peace officer and drawing, using or exhibiting a gun or deadly weapon capable of being concealed, according the court’s website.

Laguna Beach police said Uribe was involved in a five-vehicle traffic accident at 5:20 p.m. Feb. 6 on Coast Highway and Vista Del Sol in Laguna Beach.

Officers tried to get Uribe out of a Ford Mustang, but he allegedly failed to comply. An officer fired one round, striking the car, but did not injure Uribe, according to police.

Orange County SWAT team members were called in to assist police. Uribe remained in the car until officers eventually fired tear gas into the vehicle. Uribe got out of the car 30 minutes later and collapsed on the sidewalk. Officers took him into custody.

Bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce