HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A father and son pleaded no contest to charges of assaulting a 17-year-old boy in Mangilao in December 2022.
Jeffrey Garcia, 52, and his son Jeremiah Garcia, 24, appeared in the Superior Court of Guam on Friday morning to change their plea for misdemeanor assault charges stemming from an attack on a 17-year-old boy in Mangilao on Dec. 1, 2022.
According to charging documents, Jeffrey Garcia and Jeremiah Garcia allegedly chased and yelled at the teen, who was walking along the roadway near Mamis Street in Mangilao, then beat the teen for several minutes.
The attack left the victim with bruising to his eyes, nose, head and elbow – along with blood on his left ear and petechial hemorrhage in the right corner of his eye. The assault allegedly was prompted by allegations the teen had stolen from the men earlier in the day.
Prior to the plea being accepted, Judge John Terlaje asked if the victim had been notified of the plea. The prosecutor said the victim was no longer on island.
The plea by Jeffrey and Jeremiah Garcia – a plea of no contest to assault as a misdemeanor – subsequently was accepted by Terlaje.
Among terms of the plea agreement, the plea is being deferred for a year, which means if Jeffrey Garcia and Jeremiah Garcia abide by certain conditions, the case will be dismissed and expunged from their records.
Conditions that need to be completed within a year include attending treatment classes and programs recommended by the probation office, pay a $500 fine, stay away from the victim and not consume alcohol or illegal substances including marijuana. If either man violates any of the conditions, he may be subject to serving a maximum of one year in prison.
Jeffrey Garcia, right, in plaid shirt, and Jeremiah Garcia, left, speak to their lawyer on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in the Superior Court of Guam in Hagåtña after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault.
