NEWS BRIEFS

AGO lodges murder charges vs 2 men

The Attorney General’s Office yesterday filed with the Superior Court murder charges against two men who allegedly beat up and seriously injured another earlier this month.

CNMI chief prosecutor Jeffrey Moots lodged three criminal counts against 24-year-old James C. Ordinallo and 28-year-old Gerald C. Sablan. The charges included attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and kidnapping.

Moots said the two defendants deliberately attempted to kill Marvin Mendiola.

Police earlier disclosed that the two defendants mauled the 20-year-old victim at the As Gonno airfield on Aug. 5. Police said the victim sustained major lacerations in the head and multiple bruises and scratches all over his body, prompting his admission to the Commonwealth Health Center’s intensive care unit.

The two suspects allegedly stole the victim’s vehicle with license plate ABU-077 after the mauling.

Trader sues man for alleged harassment

A businessman yesterday sued a man at the Superior Court for allegedly harassing him by blocking his business parking lot in Chalan Kanoa on several occasions.

Ta Bun Kuy filed a civil action against James Feger, asking the court for an injunction order preventing the defendant from trespassing on the parking lot. Ta’s attorney, Reynaldo Yana, also asked the court for an award of compensatory and punitive damages in favor of the trader.

Yana asserted Ta’s right of easement to use the lot for parking purposes for himself and his customers after the businessman acquired interests over a land lease from one Tsu Ming Sheu.

Yana said Sheu had earlier entered into a lease agreement with Ray Falcon, who acted as agent on behalf of Franklin Mendiola Bermudes, the property’s original owner.

On two occasions in June, Feger allegedly put two tires with steel spokes and then four huge rocks to prevent Ta and his customers from parking on the lot. Yana said Feger did a similar act in July and in August by putting loads of corals on the parking lot.

No tsunami after 7.2-quake in Japan

The 7.2-intensity earthquake that rocked Honshu, Japan Tuesday afternoon did not generate a Pacific-wide tsunami.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an information bulletin to all areas within the Pacific basin after the quake, except for Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California.

The information bulletin stated that earthquakes of such magnitudes such as the one in Japan sometimes generate destructive tsunamis within a hundred kilometers of the epicenter. However, it ruled out any tsunami threat after an assessment of earthquake tsunami data.

The Emergency Management Office said it raised no tsunami threat in the CNMI. (John Ravelo)