By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
SUPERIOR Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $10,000 cash bail for the release of Charlston Yamada Aiken, who was charged with domestic violence for assaulting his girlfriend.
Aiken, 45, faces charges of assault and battery, domestic violence, and disturbing the peace.
At a bail hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Aiken appeared in the custody of the Department of Corrections and was represented by Assistant Public Defender Molly Dennert, while Assistant Attorney General Dan Johnson appeared for the government.
Johnson asked the court to maintain bail, saying, “Aiken assaulted his girlfriend in broad daylight.”
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections after the hearing and was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. and arraignment on Nov. 3 at 9 a.m.
In an issued statement, the Department of Public Safety said that on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at 5:16 p.m., the police received a report of a disturbance at the I Zone shop on Beach Road, Chalan Kanoa.
“Upon arrival, officers learned that Charlston Aiken had slammed a person to the ground and punched the same person several times. He later fled the scene toward Laly Four beachside. Officers later found Aiken on the roof of a residence. He had barricaded himself and refused to cooperate with the officers. He later jumped off the roof, injuring himself, and was transported to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, where he received treatment for his injuries,” acting DPS Public Information Officer Simon Manacop said.
The person Aiken assaulted was his girlfriend, according to court documents.
On Oct. 21, DPS again arrested Aiken for a separate disturbing the peace and assault and battery incident reported in Chalan Kanoa in the Laly Four area, Manacop said.
“Recorded videos of other incidents involving Aiken have surfaced on social media platforms,” he added.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
