Judge finds probable cause to charge defendant on robbery of masseuse at hotel

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho yesterday found probable cause to charge Jodan Santos Taitingfong over the beating of a Chinese masseuse during a robbery inside her room at Micro Beach Hotel in western Garapan.

At a preliminary hearing, Camacho found probable cause to believe that the crimes of robbery and aggravated assault and battery were committed and that Taitingfong may have committed such offenses.

The judge ordered the 23-year-old Taitingfong to answer the charges.

Camacho dismissed without prejudice the charge of assault and battery because it is a lesser included offense of aggravated assault and battery.

Arraignment will be on Aug. 15 at 9am.

At the hearing yesterday, acting chief prosecutor Barbara Cepeda, counsel for the government, called to the witness stand police detective Jeffrey Norita, who testified about their investigation that led to defendant’s arrest.

Attorney Rosemond Santos is counsel for Taitingfong.

Norita stated in his report that it was a “confidential source” who revealed to a police officer that the person on the surveillance camera’s footage in the Micro Beach robbery was Taitingfong.

Norita said the “confidential source” is a close family member of Taitingfong.

Norita said the victim also identified Taitingfong in a lineup as the person who attacked her in her bedroom and ran away with her purse.

The purse worth $500 contained $56 and other items, police said.

Two police officers responded last July 7 at 2:17am to the robbery incident that occurred at one of the rooms on the third floor of Micro Beach Hotel.

The officers gathered that the suspect, who was later identified as Taitingfong, assaulted the masseuse in her room.

The officers noticed that the victim’s mouth was bleeding and her left eye and left cheek were swollen. The officers also observed drips of blood on the floor of the bedroom, restroom, in the sink, and on the bed.

Norita said during their interview, Taitingfong admitted he was with the masseuse that early morning of July 7, but he denied beating her up.

Norita said they obtained another camera’s footage, where Taitingfong was seen running away holding the victim’s purse.

The hotel’s surveillance camera also captured a clear footage of the suspect along with the masseuse upon entering the hotel’s main entrance on the ground floor.