Leroy Villagomez Jr. enters the local courthouse while escorted by a Corrections officer.
Hitler Weilbacher is escorted by a Corrections officer at the local courthouse on Monday.
TWO former inmates are accused of assaulting Corrections Officer (not Captain as previously reported) Pius Yaroitemal Jr. at a bar in Garapan on March 23, 2024.
Leroy Villagomez Jr., 19, and Hitler Weilbacher, 27, were each charged with assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.
They appeared before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho on Monday for a bail hearing.
Assistant Public Defender Emily Thomsen was appointed by the court to represent Villagomez. Another attorney will be appointed for Weilbacher. Assistant Attorney General David Krach appeared for the government.
Judge Camacho imposed a $10,000 cash bail on each of the defendants and remanded them to the custody of the Department of Corrections after the hearing.
The judge also ordered them to return to court on April 10 at 10 a.m. for a preliminary hearing, and on April 15 at 9 a.m. for an arraignment.
The incident
According to the complaint against the defendants, the Department of Public Safety central office received a disturbance in progress on March 23 at about 3:14 a.m. at Relox Bar in Garapan.
A responding police officer saw a group of individuals crowding around Yaroitemal and assisting in wiping blood off his face.
The officer saw that Yaroitemal’s right eye was bruised, swollen and closed, with about an inch laceration above the right eyebrow and blood stains on his pants. The police officer immediately called for medics, who transported Yaroitemal to the Commonwealth Health Center’s Emergency Room.
Yaroitemal told investigators that he was outside the Relox Bar when Villagomez and Weilbacher started cussing and pushing him. He said Weilbacher punched him on the left side of his face, causing him to fall on the pavement.
While on the ground, Yaroitemal said Villagomez, Weilbacher and an unidentified local male started kicking him on his body and face.
Yaroitemal said he knew Villagomez and Weilbacher when they were previously incarcerated at Corrections.
Two witnesses told investigators that they were with Yaroitemal at Relox Bar and saw the incident
Inside the bar, one witness said Yaroitemal was approached by Villagomez, who started cussing at him. The witness said everyone at the bar approached Villagomez and told him to leave. They also escorted him outside the bar.
Yaroitemal, for his part, told Villagomez, “Don’t say those words and don’t come here and cause a problem.”
Suddenly, the witness said, Villagomez, Weilbacher and an unknown male started punching and kicking Yaroitemal.
The witness, who is a Corrections officer, said he identified Villagomez and Weilbacher as former inmates.
Another witness told police that Weilbacher came up to Yaroitemal from the side and punched him in the face. The witness said Villagomez and an unknown male joined Weilbacher in punching, kicking and stomping on Yaroitemal while he was on the ground.
