Benzi Edward Ngeskebei, a habitual offender accused of holding a 14-inch long machete to the neck of a man who gave him a car ride in Chalan Kanoa, has pleaded guilty and was slapped with a six-month prison term.<\/p>\n
Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo gave the 29-year-old Ngeskebei credit for 80 days of time served.<\/p>\n
Ngeskebei was also sentenced to nine months in prison for violating his probation, to be served consecutively with his six-month sentence. That means Ngeskebei will serve a total of 15 months.<\/p>\n
Ngeskebei pleaded guilty to assault as part of a plea deal. He also admitted to violating the terms and conditions of his probation in a 2011 conviction.<\/p>\n
This latest case arises from an incident on June 20, 2015, when Ngeskebei pointed a machete at Joseph Deleon Guerrero\u2019s head while the victim was driving a vehicle.<\/p>\n
Assistant attorney general Emily Cohen appeared for the government. Assistant public defender Matthew Meyer served as counsel for Ngeskebei.<\/p>\n
According to police, officers responded to Chalan Kanoa on June 20 at midnight after receiving a call that Ngeskebei was holding a knife to another person\u2019s neck by the intersection of As Perdido and Texas Roads.<\/p>\n
Two police officers saw the vehicle on the eastbound lane by the intersection into Texas Road with its hazard lights turned on.<\/p>\n
As one officer drove closer to the vehicle, he saw Ngeskebei walking on the road. The officer approached Ngeskebei and secured him in handcuffs for safety purposes.<\/p>\n
A man, later identified as Joseph Leon Guerrero, got out of the parked car and yelled at the officers to arrest Ngeskebei because he tried to cut him with a machete.<\/p>\n
Leon Guerrero had scratches on his right arm but he refused medical treatment.<\/p>\n
According to Leon Guerrero, he got home around midnight in Koblerville when Ngeskebei asked him to drop him off at Chalan Kanoa.<\/p>\n
Leon Guerrero and his wife agreed to do so but, once they reached the As Perdido traffic light, Leon Guerrero and Ngeskebei got into a heated argument about poker, drugs, and gambling.<\/p>\n
As the car approached the intersection into Texas Road, Ngeskebei, who was sitting in the back of the car, leaned over Leon Guerrero, took out a machete, and cussed at him.<\/p>\n
When Leon Guerrero saw the machete, he slammed on the brakes and grabbed the machete and pinned it against the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
During the struggle, Leon Guerrero\u2019s wife, who was sitting on the front passenger seat, called the police.<\/p>\n
Ngeskebei let go of the machete, apologized to Leon Guerrero, got out of the car, and was walking away when police arrived.<\/p>\n
In September 2013, police arrested Ngeskebei for allegedly repeatedly hitting his sister with a baseball bat and punching her at their home in Koblerville.<\/p>\n
Police said the sister managed to escape by jumping out of a window, tearing the screen. Injured, the victim ran to Turnkey Housing where she called the police. (Ferdie de la Torre)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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