Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Elizabeth Counce with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office questions witness Cpl. Michael Weiss on the stand during a preliminary hearing in the case of William Ryan Skelton, 39, of Los Alamos, Monday in Magistrate Court at the Justice Center. ADA Counce made her case against Skelton who is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The charges filed against Skelton stem from an incident Jan. 25, 2025 during which testimony indicates that he approached four 9th grade students in the canyon adjacent to High Flyers Gymnastic at 1900 Diamond Drive. Testimony from the minors and police officers arriving at the scene indicate Skelton possessed a military style knife measuring 12-inches long from tip of blade to end of handle. According to testimony he brandished the knife making the minors feel unsafe. Skelton also possessed a bottle of whisky and a mug, which the minors testified Skelton told them contained coffee and whisky and that he offered them whisky, which they declined. Skelton also took several items belonging to two of the minors. At the end of the testimony and closing remarks from ADA Counce and Public Defender Ben Burke, Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor declared the state had met its burden and ordered the case bound over to District Court. A hearing is scheduled later today to determine whether Skelton will remain in jail pending his next court hearing. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Gathered during a preliminary hearing Monday in Magistrate Court, from left, Los Alamos Police Cpl. Michael Weiss, ADA Elizabeth Counce, Public Defender Ben Burke, defendant William Ryan Skelton, Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor and the court assistant. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com