The court found that probable cause exists to charge 21-year-old Angel M. Palacios with one count of driving on the right side of the highway, one count of reckless driving-bodily injury/property damage, one count of driving under influence of alcohol, and one count for homicide by vehicle.
The government recommended a bail of $500,000 for his temporary freedom, but Associate Judge Ramona V. Manglona reduced it to $50,000 in yesterday’s bail hearing.
Chief prosecutor Kevin Lynch appeared on behalf of the government.
The defendant, who said he lived with his parents and is still looking for a job, was represented by Assistant Public Defender Matthew Holley.
If he posts bail, Palacios must return to the court whenever required to do so, obey all commonwealth laws, surrender all travel documents, not leave Saipan without permission, stay away from all seaports and airports, and not consume any alcoholic beverages.
Manglona placed the defendant under a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and allowed the Department of Public Safety to conduct routine random checks at reasonable hours to ensure that the defendant is in compliance with the bail order.
Manglona set the preliminary hearing for April 9 at 9 a.m., and the arraignment for April 16 at 9 a.m.
Traffic investigator Glenn S. Rabago filed an affidavit stating that they received the report about the auto-auto crash on Dandan Road at 3:30 a.m. on April 1.
Based on tire marks, the positioning of both vehicles after the impact and the statements of witnesses, it was learned that Palacios lost control of the pick-up he was driving and swerved onto the opposite lane, colliding with the Mazda SUV operated by Stephen Limes.
The pick-up’s passengers — Calvin Fitial, Milton Minor, Domingo dela Cruz — sustained injuries but the fourth passenger, Aniceto Taitano, died at about 8:40 a.m. at the Commonwealth Health Center.
Rabago said police officers who interviewed Palacios at CHC learned that prior to the accident, the driver consumed about half a case of beer.
Palacios told police that he was going at approximately 30 miles per hour when the truck skidded off its lane and stuck the other vehicle.
Police also interviewed Minor, who told them that he was at his residence when Palacios and the other three companions picked him up.
Minor told police that the four — Fitial, Palacios, Taitano and Dela Druz — already appeared drunk.
Minor said Palacios drove fast.
