Calvin Tagabuel is escorted by a Corrections officer at the local courthouse for sentencing on Wednesday.
Photo by Bryan Manabat
SUPERIOR Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho has sentenced Calvin Tagabuel to the maximum term of 10 years in prison for aggravated assault and battery.
In his sentencing and commitment order, Judge Camacho stated that no portion of the 10-year sentence is suspended. He added that Tagabuel is eligible to apply for parole and will receive credit for time served since his initial arrest and detention on Feb. 2, 2024.
Tagabuel, 49, was accused of causing the death of Lark Kasian, 44, by delivering a single punch to Kasian’s face, rendering him unconscious and causing him to fall and strike the back of his head on the concrete floor at Cool Laundry in Kagman.
Tagabuel’s jury trial began on Feb. 11, 2025. He claimed he acted in self-defense.
On March 10, 2025, the jury found him not guilty of second-degree murder but found him guilty of the lesser charge of aggravated assault and battery.
At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Tagabuel was represented by court-appointed attorney Joey McDoulett, who recommended a sentence of four years, with two and a half years suspended, and for Tagabuel to serve one and a half years at the Department of Corrections with credit for time served.
Tagabuel spoke freely in open court, expressing remorse and apologizing to the victim’s family.
Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds and Assistant Attorney General Heather Barcinas represented the government. Hinds recommended the maximum sentence of 10 years with no suspension, no probation, and no parole.
Judge Camacho cited several aggravating factors that contributed to his decision:
• After knocking out Kasian, the defendant prevented others from calling for medical help.
• The defendant tried to move the victim using a shopping cart and asked a security guard for assistance — an act the judge described as an attempt to cover up the crime.
• Because of the defendant’s instructions and actions, Kasian did not receive any medical attention for approximately nine hours.
After the hearing, Hinds said in an interview: “The sentence served justice. What Calvin Tagabuel did was wrong. He didn’t have to punch Lark Kasian just because he was drunk. If there was an issue, he should have called the police. Instead, he took the law into his own hands, and after punching Kasian, he didn’t let anyone render aid. Kasian lay there dying on the ground for seven hours. Tagabuel had a choice — he could have walked away and called the police. I think it was a fair sentence.”
