In yesterday’s bail hearing, Associate Judge David A. Wiseman ordered 29-year-old Sharp Betao Ngirutoi to post $50,000 cash bail on charges of assault and battery, aggravated assault and battery and assault with a deadly weapon.
Wiseman also imposed a $15,000 cash bail on 48-year-old Etumai Felix Ngiratakau on charges of assault and battery and aggravated assault and battery.
The judge set the preliminary hearing for July 8 at 9 a.m., and the arraignment for July 13 at 9 a.m.
Assistant Attorney General Brian Gallagher appeared on behalf of the government. Assistant Public Defender Douglas Hartig represented Ngirutoi while his co-defendant appeared without a lawyer.
If the defendants post bail, they must return to court whenever required to do so, obey all commonwealth laws, not leave Saipan without permission, stay away from all airports and seaports, not consume alcoholic beverages in public places and have no direct or indirect contact with the victim and the witnesses.
Detective Simon T. Manacop stated in his affidavit that a disturbance call was reported in front of the Korean Sports Bar across from the U.S. Post Office in Chalan Kanoa at about 11:33 p.m. on June 29.
Manacop said responding police officers saw one of the defendants, Ngirutoi, had a bleeding inch-long cut on the back of his right hand, while Ngiratakau also had bloodstains on his leg.
Upon investigation, Ngirutoi told police that he was with Ngiratakau at the Round House across from the post office when a man, identified later as Wen Xue Piao walked up to them and yelled obscenities.
Ngirutoi said Wen Xue Piao later returned and he asked him for a cigarette but Wen Xue Piao instead reached into his pocket and fished out a knife and began swinging it at them.
Ngirutoi said they fought Wen Xue Piao and he admitted throwing a bottle of Soju to Wen Xue Piao.
Manacop said police interviewed two women who saw the incident.
The first witness said she was driving into Chalan Kanoa when she saw four persons punching and kicking another person.
She said she parked her vehicle and began honking her horn and flashing her car lights to distract the suspects from beating the victim.
The witness said she rolled down her window and yelled to the suspects to stop but she had to drive away when two of the four suspects headed toward her car.
The witness’ testimony was supported by her passenger who testified that she also saw the suspects hit the victim with a bottle.
Wen Xue Piao told police that he was at a friend’s house earlier that evening drinking alcohol.
He left his friends and was walking near the post office when a male walked up to him and asked him for something he could not understand.
He said more persons came and they started to beat him up.
He suffered lacerations on his lips which required stitches.
He also suffered abrasions on his forearm and ankle, a lump on his head, and fractures on his collar bone and cheek. The defendants also managed to knock out his teeth. He was brought to the Commonwealth Health Center for treatment.
