During a bail hearing yesterday, Associate Judge Kenneth C. Govendo ordered 23-year-old John Kaipat Wabol Jr. to post $10,000 cash bail for the charges of assault and battery, and disturbing the peace. Wabol must also surrender his firearms.
If he posts bail, Wabol must return to the court whenever required to do so, obey all commonwealth laws and surrender his travel documents.
He cannot leave the CNMI without court permission. He must also stay away from all seaports and airports, and have no direct or indirect contact with the victim.
Govendo set the preliminary hearing for March 11 and the arraignment for March 16.
Based on the affidavit filed by Detective Abraham C. Villagomez, the Department of Public Safety received a call from the victim at 4:34 p.m. on Feb. 26.
The victim said she and her common-law husband, Wabol, were having a domestic problem and that he threatened to shoot her with his gun.
Police officers who responded to the scene told Wabol to surrender his police-issued Smith and Wesson 9 mm. sidearm.
Police also learned that the victim was hiding at a neighbor’s house across from Wabol’s.
The victim came out crying and told police she was scared. She said Wabol assaulted her and threatened to kill her.
Wabol told police officers that the gun was inside his personal vehicle. Police took the gun from under the driver’s seat and arrested Wabol.
The affidavit stated that the victim believed Wabol was seeing another woman.
She said she went to the defendant’s house to pick up her children but as she was passing Jin Store in Dandan, she saw Wabol’s car so she pulled over.
She said Wabol pulled open her passenger door and took one of the children who he then placed in his car.
The victim said she approached Wabol but he punched her face and choked her.
She said Wabol then began shouting profanities at her, went to his car and took out his gun.
The victim ran to the neighbor’s house and stayed there until police arrived.
The victim stated that “this was the worst incident she suffered but it was not the first time she had been physically abused by the defendant.”
