Intoxicated man allegedly hits car repeatedly

An intoxicated man chased and allegedly repeatedly hit the rear of a car where his girlfriend had hitched a ride on in Koblerville early Thursday morning.

Brett Somorang Seman, 26, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon and disturbing the peace. His bail was set at $25,000 cash. Assistant public defender Cindy Nebit was appointed as his counsel. Preliminary hearing will be on Sept. 11 at 9am. Assistant attorney general Emily Cohen appeared for the government.

Police detective Therese S. Kintoki stated in her report that police Sgt. Edward Ayuyu was heading east toward Dandan along Flame Tree Road on Thursday at 3:59am when he saw two vehicles on the opposite lane.

The gray car with license plate ACB-698 had damage on its rear bumper, which was dragging on the ground.

The vehicle that was following it, a white Mazda pickup truck with license plate ACE-934, had no headlights and was too close to the car. The truck appeared to be attempting to strike the car based on the closeness and its erratic movement.

Ayuyu turned on his blue lights and chased the vehicles. The car stopped and was overtaken by the truck, which then stopped along Adobo Drive in Koblerville.

According to Ayuyu, the driver of the pickup truck, Seman, had strong odor of alcoholic beverage in his breath, was belligerent, was yelling, and uncooperative. Ayuyu claimed that the car hit his truck.

Ayuyu placed Seman in handcuffs for temporary detention and put him inside the police vehicle. He continued yelling out to see the car’s occupants.

As the passenger of the car, later identified as Seman’s girlfriend, came out from the car for interview, Seman became more belligerent and tried to run to her. Ayuyu had to physically restrain Seman several times.

Seman then allegedly threatened he would do something to Ayuyu and the driver of the car when he gets out.

Ayuyu requested for another police unit to transport Seman to the Department of Corrections.

The driver of the car, Anthony James L. Benavente, told police he was playing poker in Gualo Rai when Seman’s girlfriend approached him to ask if he could give her a ride to Koblerville.

Benavente said the girlfriend knew him from his common-law wife.

When the two left on his car, Benavente assumed that two men in the truck were tailing him. He was aware that she knew the driver of the truck because she kept begging him not to stop the car for her safety.

As they headed up Capital Hill, the truck hit his car in the rear. He decided to keep driving as she was begging him not to stop.

Just before passing the Emergency Management Office area, the truck hit Benavente’s car again. He refused to stop fearing that he would be beaten up by the occupants of the truck.

The truck, with its headlights off, continued chasing them until Ayuyu stopped them.

The woman said Seman has been her boyfriend for two months. They were drinking earlier and that Seman got mad when he kept losing while playing at a poker arcade.

The car, a Nissan Maxima, had damage on the rear and bumper, which was hanging on the road. The truck, a Mazda, had minor damage on the front, police said.