Saipan Tribune

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Monday, February 11, 2013

Bail change denied for man accused of aiming gun at 2

A man who was recently arrested for allegedly aiming a gun at his two cousins has asked the Superior Court to modify his $50,000 cash bail and proposed his common-law wife to serve as his third-party custodian.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho, however, denied Sergio Rangamar's motion on Friday after learning that the common-law wife has had three temporary restraining orders filed against him.

“The proposed third party custodian is in no position to protect herself against the violent behavior of the defendant,” Camacho said, adding that the bail shall remain at $50,000 cash.

Camacho quoted the common-law wife's own words in the most recent TRO filed in February 2012: “There were also times where I had to use my children to protect myself from getting hit.”

In another TRO filed in September 2010, the common-law wife stated that her biggest fear was when Rangamar pushed her as she was then seven months pregnant, which might have caused her to fall and injure herself and her unborn child.

In the third TRO filed in June 2009, the common-law wife stated she heard gunshots outside their house and that she was so scared that she never slept until the sun came up.

“Next day came and I thanked God I'm still alive,” the common-law wife stated in court papers.

Rangamar, through assistant public defender Daniel Guidotti, had asked the court to reduce his $50,000 cash bail to $25,000 and proposed his common-law wife as his third party custodian.

Camacho said the court's determination on bail should take into account the nature and circumstances of the offense charge, the weight of the evidence against the accused, the financial ability of the accused to give bail and the character of the accused.

Police arrested the 36-year-old Rangamar on Jan. 31 for allegedly aiming a gun at his two cousins for cleaning the premises of a property in Gualo Rai. Police recovered at the scene a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a 9mm live round in the chamber, another live round in the magazine, seven 9mm full metal jacket live rounds, and five 9mm hallow point live rounds.

When arrested, Rangamar allegedly admitted to assaulting his cousins' father in the past and that he and the cousins' family have been feuding.