HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A man charged in connection to the death of a Korean tourist could face life in prison plus 77 years if convicted of all the charges.
On Thursday Stefen Camacho, 26, was charged with complicity to commit aggravated murder and complicity to commit robbery as first-degree felonies with a special allegation of a vulnerable victim, and theft of property and destroying evidence as misdemeanors.
Camacho’s charges stem from allegedly being the getaway driver in the Jan. 4 robbery and fatal shooting of a Korean tourist, 60-year-old Hea Jun Hwang, as he was walking with his wife from the TaoTao Tasi dinner show at The Beach Restaurant & Bar in Tumon.
Although Camacho allegedly was the getaway driver and it’s believed his now-deceased co-actor, Keoki Santos, shot Hwang and robbed the couple of a purse, Camacho is being accused by prosecutors of having been complicit in the crime.
According to a magistrate’s complaint filed in the Superior Court of Guam, Camacho had the “intention of promoting or assisting in the commission of,” or aiding Santos in committing, aggravated murder and robbery.
According to charging documents, Camacho and Santos allegedly planned to go to Tumon to “try and snatch someone’s purse” and “looked for a tourist to rob” to recoup a $100 gambling loss.
Guam law states “aggravated murder” is committed intentionally with premeditation or is committed during the commission or attempt to commit another felony. A person convicted of aggravated murder faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Robbery as a first-degree felony carries a sentence of between 10 and 25 years, according to Guam law.
Additionally, Camacho’s felony charges have a special allegation of a vulnerable victim sentencing enhancement because Hwang was not only a tourist, but he was an elderly person over the age of 55.
The vulnerable victim sentencing enhancement range is between five and 25 years.
Camacho’s misdemeanor charge of theft of property stems from allegations Camacho took $75 from the victim’s wife. The misdemeanor theft charge and the charge of destroying evidence as a misdemeanor carry maximum sentences of one year each.
If convicted of all charges, Camacho faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole plus 77 years, according to the potential jail time report for Camacho issued by the Office of the Attorney General.
$1M cash bail
After being charged on Thursday, Camacho appeared for his first court hearing, where he was ordered held on $1 million cash bail at the Department of Corrections pending his trial.
Also at the hearing, the Public Defender Service Corp. was appointed to represent Camacho in the case. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Sison Jr. stated Camacho was eligible for free representation since his hourly wages were $10 an hour.
The public defender at the hearing was William Bischoff, who did not find a conflict in representing Camacho, despite the fact the PDSC had previously represented Santos in a 2022 drug possession case.
When asked by The Guam Daily Post about being assigned to take a high-profile case, Stephen Hattori, the PDSC executive director, said “it’s not unusual.”
“Especially when there are no conflicts in this case. Since neither suspect had extensive records, it’s not likely a conflict exists,” Hattori told the Post.
Camacho’s criminal record consists of being arrested in 2021 on suspicion of assault, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, but not charged.
Camacho is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Friday, Jan. 19.
Vehicles traverse the intersection near The Tsubaki Tower in Tumon on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
