Calvo surrenders to DPS

Businessman Patrick Mendiola Calvo surrendered yesterday to the police to face charges that he sexually abused a minor.

Calvo, 43, was taken to the Superior Court yesterday afternoon for a bail hearing. He was with his lawyer, G. Anthony Long.

Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo reduced his bail to $15,000, either in cash or property bond. The court earlier imposed a $25,000 cash bail.

Govendo set the preliminary hearing on June 25 and the arraignment on July 14. The judge directed the Office of the Attorney General to file the charging information on or before June 19.

In her report, detective Andrea C. Ozawa stated that Calvo assaulted a 13-year-old girl on Wednesday, June 11. Afterwards, Calvo allegedly told the girl not to tell her mother what he did to her. The girl, however, did so and the incident was reported to police on Thursday.

Ozawa said that when she and a Child Protective Unit personnel talked with the girl, she was huddled close to her mother and had tears in her eyes.

At the hearing, chief prosecutor Kevin Lynch asked the court to keep the bail at $25,000 cash, as the court had previously imposed.

Calvo’s lawyer, Long, described the amount as “excessive,” saying that his client is not a flight risk.

Long cited that the Attorney General’s Office filed two similar cases against his client in 2000, involving different alleged victims. On April 1, 2008, then associate judge Juan T. Lizama dismissed with finality one case at the recommendation of the AGO.

Saipan Tribune learned that it was then chief prosecutor Jeffery Warfield Sr. who moved to dismiss that case, saying the AGO was not satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to prove criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt. In his motion, Warfield noted that “the victim departed the CNMI and has no return date.”

Long also pointed out that in November 2005, the jury acquitted Calvo in the second case.

He then mentioned that the businessman had just announced last week his intention to join the delegate race when the charges came out.

Some family members, relatives and friends of the girl’s mother attended the hearing.

Long asked the court to release Calvo’s vehicle that, according to the lawyer, was seized and impounded by the police over the weekend without a search warrant.

Govendo reduced the bail and imposed many conditions for the defendant’s temporary liberty. He also ordered the release of the vehicle to the defendant.

Associate Judge Ramona V. Manglona issued on Friday the arrest warrant for Calvo on charges of sexual assault in the second degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree, and disturbing the peace.

Department of Public Safety commissioner Claudio Norita told the media that Calvo went to the AGO’s Criminal Division in Susupe yesterday before surrendering to DPS at 7:30am.

“He was served with the arrest warrant, processed, booked and detained,” Norita said.

The commissioner said that when the arrest warrant came out on Friday, they searched for Calvo, which led to the discovery of his vehicle in a farm located near the Saipan airport.

Norita said that on Saturday morning they activated the DPS Tactical Response Enforcement Team, which conducted a search of the entire cliff line and jungle area surrounding the airport and Obyan Beach. He said they failed to find Calvo, but the vehicle was impounded by DPS.

“We did searches on other farm areas where he is known to hang out. We talked to his family members, friends. We conducted surveillance on his family members and friends. We’re happy that he surrendered himself so the process can move on,” Norita said.

Calvo is the owner of Calvo’s Nursery and Landscaping and the Island Farmers Market. He is the current president of the Saipan Rotary Club.