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Bail change denied for man accused of strangling wife
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Posted on Sep 18 2020
The Superior Court has denied the request of a man accused of strangling his wife to modify his bail because he had no third-party custodian.
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho denied Guangchao Li’s request to be released at a bail hearing last Monday. Camacho wanted supervision or monitoring and a third-party custodian.
Assistant public defender Karie Comstock, Li’s court-appointed lawyer, told the court that Li recently lost his tour guide occupation due to the pandemic, warranting a reduced bail. Comstock also argued that Li has his own place and does not stay with the victim.
Assistant attorney general Steve Kessel opposed the bail modification request. Kessel noted that the maximum penalty for strangulation is seven years’ imprisonment; one year imprisonment for assault and battery; and six months’ imprisonment for assault and disturbing the peace.
Camacho maintained the $10,000 cash bail initially imposed by Superior Court associate judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio for the seriousness of the charges and remanded Li back to the Department of Corrections.
Li, 35, was charged with assault and battery, strangulation, assault, and disturbing the peace.
Li was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 23 at 10am and for arraignment on Sept. 28 at 9am.
According to court documents, police received a cut-off call from a distressed female caller screaming for help on the telephone. Police later learned that prior to the incident, the victim’s husband, Li, asked for help to unlock his cell phone. The victim said she unlocked his cell phone and she and Li then started to go through his cell phone.
She said Li later grabbed her right arm tightly and told her that if she had another man, he would kill her.
She then told Li that she wanted to leave but he pushed her down on the floor, allegedly punching her on her right shoulder before wrapping both of his hands tightly around her neck while holding her to the ground.
The victim told police she has been separated from Li for over a year because of past incidents where he also harmed her.
