A MAN is facing assault and battery, vandalism and disturbing the peace charges for headbutting his girlfriend and burning her clothes on Friday.
Police arrested Juan Taitano, 30, hours after the incident on Nov. 3, 2023. (Not Nov. 30 as earlier reported.)
The victim told police that Taitano was drunk and shouting inside her apartment unit in Finasisu at around 10 p.m. because their neighbors were watching porn. But she said their neighbors weren’t home and Taitano “was really drunk,” and continued to drink beer.
She said he later grabbed their youngest child and told her he would take the baby to his house in Dandan.
She said she managed to get her baby back and told Taitano to leave. Taitano then started “breaking stuff” in the apartment and pressed her head into his chest.
She said she started crying for help. Taitano finally released her after she bit him, but he also kicked her in the right leg, punched her in the left arm and headbutted her in the mouth, while she was holding her baby.
The victim said while she was calling the police, Taitano threw a bottle of chili sauce at her before leaving the apartment in a Toyota Rav 4.
She told the responding police officers that minutes later, Taitano sent her the message telling her that he was burning her clothes and her other belongings at his house in Dandan.
At around 11:40 p.m., officers proceeded to Taitano’s house in Dandan where they saw fire at his residence. Taitano was “shouting that everything was okay,” police said.
The responding officers arrested Taitano and transported him to the Department of Corrections where he was booked and detained.
On Monday, Nov. 6, Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo imposed a $2,500 bail on Taitano and remanded him to the custody of Corrections. Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds appeared for the government while Taitano was represented by the Public Defender’s Office.
The judge set a preliminary hearing for Nov. 13, 2023.
