By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
SUPERIOR Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho has scheduled a bench trial for Feb. 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. for Charlston Yamada Aiken, who is accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
Aiken, 44, was charged with domestic violence, two counts of assault and battery, disturbing the peace, and resisting arrest. He denies the charges.
The Public Defender’s Office represented Aiken, while Assistant Attorney General Daniel Johnson appeared for the government.
According to the Department of Public Safety, officers responded to a disturbance at the I Zone shop on Beach Road in Chalan Kanoa on Sept. 23 at 5:16 p.m.
Police officers learned that Aiken had slammed a person to the ground and punched them several times. He later fled toward the area near Laly Four Beach.
Officers later found Aiken on the roof of a residence, where he had barricaded himself and refused to cooperate. He eventually jumped off the roof, injuring himself. He was then transported to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation for treatment.
Court documents identify the victim as Aiken’s girlfriend.
On Oct. 21, DPS arrested Aiken again for a separate incident involving disturbing the peace and assault and battery in the Laly Four area.
According to DPS, videos of other incidents involving Aiken have surfaced on social media.
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.
