Bail raised for man who ‘disappeared’ for a year

After failing to appear in court regarding his criminal case, a bench warrant had been issued for 46-year-old Anthony Villanueva on May 9, 2023. On Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2024, a year and four months later, Villanueva appeared before Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio at the Superior Court in Susupe for a bail hearing.

Villanueva appeared in court under the custody of the Department of Corrections after his recent apprehension.

When Kim-Tenorio asked Villanueva where he has been all this time, he responded that he had been at his house.

When she asked whether he had been in contact with his lawyer he said he had not.

Villanueva told the court that he had misunderstood the process for the proceedings. “I was waiting to see if they were going to call me… I forgot that I had to come to court,” he said.

Prosecuting attorney, assistant attorney general Heather Barcinas, said “since the beginning of this case in Oct. 17, 2022 until present, I don’t know how he forgot, because he had three separate court appearances. But from these documents it looks like he failed to appear in both of them.”

In October 2022, Villanueva was charged with theft, tampering with a vehicle, and criminal mischief. His first bail was originally at $1,000, but due to his continued absence for his scheduled court appearances, and recently with an unheeded bench warrant, bail was increased to $5,000. Prosecution proposed it be maintained at $5,000 cash.

“A plea agreement was sent to the Public Defender’s Office since Nov. 1, 2022. There is also a traffic case that’s related to this one when the bench warrant was issued…. And the offer that was extended that this was calling for some jail time, so I’d ask that bail be maintained at $5,000 cash… “

The court took the prosecution’s bail proposal upholding bail at $5,000, upon posting $5,000 cash Villanueva may be released.

According to court documents, on September 2022, Villanueva and another suspect unlawfully took or operated a vehicle without the consent of the owner, with “intent to permanently deprive the owner of its title to possession of that vehicle…”

The vehicle had been under Alamo Rental Car, specifically a Mazda CX-3 vehicle.

According to the documents, Villanueva willfully damaged or tampered with a vehicle or its contents, or broke or removed any part or parts of the vehicle without the consent of the owner, by shattering the vehicle’s windshield, and took out the front panel of the dashboard, spray painted the vehicle’s front lower bumper, rims, and/or replaced the vehicle’s license plate.

Saipan Tribune archives state that on Sept 20, 2022, Villanueva came before Associate Judge Joseph Camacho who imposed a $5,000 cash bail on Laraad Makaila Aldan Ramangmou, one of two accused of stealing a rental car and asking the rental company for a reward for finding the car. The second was Villanueva.

Ramangmou, 28 at the time, faced the same charges of theft of vehicle, tampering with a vehicle, and criminal mischief.

Following the bail hearing, Ramangmou was remanded to Department of Corrections’ custody and was ordered to return to court on Sept. 28, 2022 at 10am for a preliminary hearing, and an arraignment on Oct. 3, 2022 at 9am.

According to court documents on Aug. 29, Ramangmou and Villanueva rented a dark gray Mazda CX-3 from a car rental company.

On Sept. 7, 2022, DPS issued an alert for the Mazda, noting that it might be operated by Ramangmou or Villanueva.

On Sept. 15, 2022, police officially issued an active theft of vehicle case involving the Mazda.

Two days later police units were dispatched to As Gonno in an abandoned house where they saw a dark gray Mazda CX-3 but with a different license plate which turned out to be for a 2018 silver Toyota Yaris.

While police officers were in the area, they saw a woman, who was later identified as Ramangmou, running into the jungle. This prompted police to pursue and apprehend her.

After apprehending her, she was brought back to the abandoned house and was asked about the Mazda.

However, she claimed she did not know anything about it, adding that the police should ask Villanueva or “Ton.”

The police noted that the Mazda’s front lower bumper and its tire rims had been spray-painted gold.

In addition, the front and rear emblems of the vehicle were covered with tape, and the front left portion of the windshield was shattered.

Police said they checked the vehicle’s identification number and it matched the license plate of the missing Mazda.

Meanwhile, in an interview with a rental company agent, he told police that the vehicle had no damage when it was rented from their company.

He added that on Sept. 13, 2022, he received a call from a woman asking if there was any cash reward if she found the stolen vehicle.

In addition, the female individual also kept insisting that she needs a reward or else she will sell the car for parts.

Ramangmou, in a freely given statement to the police, admitted that she and Villanueva rented the car for two days, and that she paid for it.

According to the report, she also admitted that she spray-painted the rims and front bumper of the vehicle, and to breaking the front right windshield and removing the front panel of the dashboard.

Her co-defendant, Villanueva, was charged separately.