Wounded man pleads not guilty to eight charges

By Neal Putnam

A wounded man who was found shot in the leg in Ramona on July 5 entered a not guilty plea to eight charges that involve two separate cases filed against him in El Cajon Superior Court. His next hearing is on Aug. 17.

Dustin Vincent Hayes, 30, of Ramona, was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony after the shooting.

Hayes was found wounded in a ditch in front of 945 E St. at 4:45 p.m. after sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about a shooting. A Glock 23 semi-automatic firearm was found beside him and is the weapon he is not supposed to possess because of a prior conviction for felony assault, according to court records.

The second case against Hayes involves a June 14 incident in which he allegedly violated a stay away order and drove on a suspended driver’s license. His license had been revoked due to a conviction involving alcohol. He is also charged with possessing methamphetamine and resisting arrest.

Hayes was arraigned in his hospital bed at Palomar Medical Center on July 10, and a Sept. 25 preliminary hearing was set for the weapons charges. The second case involves five misdemeanor counts, and a trial for that has been set for Aug. 28.

Witnesses told sheriff’s deputies Hayes may have been wounded after trying to get into someone’s residence on E Street. Judge Patricia Cookson signed a restraining order against Hayes that bars him from contacting a woman in Ramona.

Court records show three other misdemeanor cases have been filed against him in the past that include DUI, theft, and reckless driving. Hayes remains in jail on $125,000 bail.