Man arrested for allegedly pointing machete to neck of man who gave him ride

Benzi Edward Ngeskebei was arrested again on Saturday midnight, this time for allegedly holding a 14-inch long machete to a neck of a man who gave him a car ride in Chalan Kanoa.

At a hearing yesterday, citing the seriousness of the charges, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho increased to $10,000 cash bail from the original $6,500 cash bail imposed on Ngeskebei.

Ngeskebei, 29, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.

The Office of the Public Defender was appointed to represent the defendant. Preliminary hearing will be on June 30 at 1:30pm. Assistant attorney general Barbara Cepeda appeared for the government.

Police detective Therese S. Kintoki stated in her report that police officers responded to Chalan Kanoa on Saturday midnight after receiving a call that Ngeskebei was holding a knife to another person’s neck in the intersection of As Perdido and Texas Road.

Two police officers saw the vehicle on the eastbound lane by the intersection into Texas Road with its hazard light turned on.

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.

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.

Leon Guerrero’s girlfriend then got out from the car’s passenger door.

Leon Guerrero dropped to the ground the machete that the defendant used.

Leon Guerrero had scratches on the right arm, but he refused medical treatment.

According to Leon Guerrero, he got home around midnight in Koblerville when Ngeskebei asked him to drop him to Chalan Kanoa.

The report did not mention whether Leon Guerrero is related to the defendant.

Leon Guerrero and his girlfriend agreed to drop off the defendant to Chalan Kanoa.

As they reached the As Perdido traffic light, Leon Guerrero and Ngeskebei got into a heated argument about poker, drugs, and gambling issues.

As the car approached the intersection into Texas Road, Ngeskebei, who was sitting in the back of the car, stood over Leon Guerrero, took a machete and told him bad words.

When Leon Guerrero saw the machete, he slammed on the brakes and grabbed the machete and pinned it against the steering wheel.

The defendant allegedly started hitting Leon Guerrero’s head with his elbow. Leon Guerrero told him he would not call the police if he just let go of the machete.

During the struggle, Leon Guerrero’s wife, who was sitting on the front passenger seat, called the police.

Ngeskebei then let go of the machete and started apologizing to Leon Guerrero. Ngeskebei got out of the car and was walking away when police arrived.

Leon Guerrero said he could smell odor of alcoholic beverage from Ngeskebei, who, according to him, also looked like high on drugs at that time.

In September 2013, police arrested Ngeskebei for allegedly repeatedly striking his sister with a baseball bat and punching her at their residence in Koblerville.

Police said the sister managed to escape by jumping out from their window, tearing the screen. Injured, the victim ran to Turnkey Housing where she called the police.

The victim told police that Ngeskebei got mad after their mother could not give him money. After learning that their mother left the house, the defendant allegedly started beating his sister.