SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho found probable cause to charge Juan Taitano, also known as “JT-1,” who was accused of head-butting his girlfriend and burning her clothes.
After hearing the testimony of Department of Public Safety Detective Daniel Kaipat at a preliminary hearing last week, Judge Camacho said, “The court finds probable cause to believe that [the defendant committed crimes] and is therefore held to answer said charges.”
Taitano was charged with assault and battery (domestic violence), disturbing the peace, vandalism, assault, and reckless burning.
During the hearing, the government was represented by Assistant Attorney General Frances T. Demapan while Assistant Public Defender Emily Dennert represented Taitano, who was ordered to return to court for an arraignment on Nov. 27.
Police arrested Taitano on Nov. 3, 2023.
According to the victim, Taitano was drunk and shouting inside her apartment unit in Finasisu at around 10 p.m. and saying that 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 head-butted 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 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.
