HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A man faces 61 years in prison after he was found guilty of committing several counts of criminal trespass while on pretrial release.
On Friday, a jury in the Superior Court of Guam returned a guilty verdict for Alfred Ace Ruben for two counts of criminal trespass as third-degree felonies and criminal trespass as a misdemeanor.
According to court documents, Ruben, 21, was charged a year after the Guam Police Department responded to trespass accusations made Jan. 27, 2023.
The first was a report made by a couple who accused two men of damaging their vehicle and found them inside their car. Ruben was, according to charging documents, in the trunk of the vehicle, and the male owner of the car tried to detain Ruben until police arrived, but he was “overpowered” by Ruben, who took off with the man’s jacket.
Ruben was also seen to be holding a hammer, and officers later saw a “massive hole” on the driver’s side window of the vehicle, documents state.
Fifteen minutes after the incident was reported, police responded to another complaint of a damaged car. A man told officers that he heard a loud noise coming from outside his home and was later told by a neighbor that two males damaged the car with a hammer.
According to court documents, the suspects were wearing the same attire reported in the first incident.
Police then interviewed the other man who was seen with Ruben, who said Ruben damaged the vehicle and that they were drinking alcohol together.
Since Ruben was on pretrial release for a 2023 felony case, his criminal mischief felony charges had notices of commission of a felony while on felony release and the guilty verdict means he faces 61 years in prison.
The Office of the Attorney General announced they will be seeking the maximum sentence for Ruben.
“The AG will seek the maximum sentence of 61 years incarceration to deter the persistent catch, release and re-offend problem,” the OAG stated in a press release.
“Deterrence occurs when would-be criminals see the bad consequences of their bad acts. This conviction is another victory by this toughest on crime AG’s office,” the release stated.
The Guam Judicial Center in Hagåtña is seen on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.
