Athlete allegedly bites man’s ear, face in fight

He is no Mike Tyson but bemedalled rugby and track and field athlete Stanley Iakopo is facing criminal charges for allegedly biting another man’s ear, face and finger during a fray in a Saipan restaurant, police said yesterday.

Iakopo also faces charges for allegedly stalking his ex-girlfriend and assaulting her recently, threatening to harm her again if she sees another man.

Police arrested Iakopo at the Kagman High School, where his ex-girlfriend works as a teacher, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by Superior Court associate judge Kenneth Govendo.

Govendo had imposed a $25,000-bail on Iakopo, but the bail amount was modified to $10,000 by presiding judge Robert Naraja during a bail hearing yesterday afternoon. Naraja allowed Iakopo to post a cash bond of 20 percent of the bail amount, leaving 80 percent—or $8,000—as an unsecured bond.

Naraja ordered Iakopo to surrender his travel documents to the court until Monday. He also ordered Iakopo to stay away from his ex-girlfriend’s residence and the place of work of his male victim.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, police detective Christopher Leon Guerrero said Iakopo bit a man’s ear, face and finger during a brawl at the J’s Restaurant last New Year’s Eve.

Leon Guerrero said the man was with his friends to eat breakfast when Iakopo allegedly joined their table without being invited. One of the victim’s companions politely asked the athlete to move from his seat because they were using it, a gesture that reportedly irked Iakopo, who shouted at the woman and challenged her to a fight. Iakopo allegedly pushed the woman.

Upon hearing Iakopo’s challenge, the victim attempted to intervene to tell Iakopo to back off, but the athlete turned on him, police said. Iakopo allegedly pushed the victim and challenged him to a fight.

“During the struggle, all the five witnesses approached them and tried to pull them apart,” the detective said.

The detective, who arrived at the scene, said Iakopo appeared to be very intoxicated. He saw scratches on Iakopo’s arm and face.

The detective said he saw the victim bleeding from cuts on his left face. “[I] also saw scratches and his left ear appeared to have a cut, which was also bleeding,” he added. The victim also sustained a cut on his right middle finger.

“Stanley bit me,” the victim reportedly said, cussing at the athlete.

Police arrested Iakopo, who was detained at the Department of Corrections, but was released after 24 hours.

On the night of Feb. 21, Iakopo allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend at an apartment in Dandan. Police responded to the scene, where lawmen learned that Iakopo broke the woman’s cellphone. Iakopo also allegedly punched the woman’s arm.

“At such time, Stanley confronted the officers and admitted that he had broken the phone and stated that he would replace it. No arrest was made at that time,” the detective said.

The woman had gone to Iakopo’s apartment at that time to inform him about his tax return. She and Iakopo had agreed not see each other as he was already seeing another woman. When asked by Iakopo if she was seeing another man, the victim replied “yes,” which reportedly made the athlete mad.

Iakopo then allegedly spat on the woman’s face twice. She was about to start her car when Iakopo allegedly punched her arm. She grabbed her cell phone to dial 911, but the athlete took it from her and broke it in half.

“You can’t do anything,” Iakopo allegedly told her. The victim alighted from the car and began banging the door of an apartment to catch people’s attention.

After that incident, the athlete allegedly made repeated calls to the victim, who refused to answer those calls. Iakopo allegedly threatened the victim that he would hit her car if he sees her on the road. Investigation also showed that Iakopo was following the victim on several occasions, such as when the woman was attending a teacher’s conference at the Pacific Islands Club.

“The victim had been frightened because she knows that Stanley is capable of doing so,” the detective said.

Sometime last year, the court sentenced Iakopo to 60 days imprisonment after the athlete pleaded guilty to assault and battery. The court, however, had suspended the prison term.

In that case, the Attorney General’s Office had originally charged Iakopo with 17 criminal counts: five counts each of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and disturbing the peace, and two counts of criminal mischief.

Police took custody of Iakopo after the assault incident in September 2003, saying the athlete endangered the life of his girlfriend. Because of jealousy, Iakopo pushed his girlfriend at a Garapan establishment. Police received reports later that day that Iakopo had engaged his girlfriend in a car chase.

Iakopo had bagged “most valuable player” awards in various football leagues, including the Commonwealth Football League and a national league.