Man speeds off car with wife, 2 children aboard toward Tinian’s Suicide Cliff

An alleged intoxicated man drove recklessly his car, with his wife and two minor children aboard, toward Suicide Cliff on Tinian, where he only applied the brakes when they were about to hit the wall, then beat her up last week.

Vincent Barcinas Aldan, 27, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon for one count of assault, four counts of assault and battery, and two counts of disturbing the peace.

Police said Aldan admitted to driving the car to Suicide Cliff, where he slammed the head of his wife against the vehicle’s roof, hit her head with a cap, and that he accidentally hit the head of their 2-month old baby with his hand.

Aldan also allegedly admitted driving his car to 40 to 50 miles per hour on their way to Suicide Cliff, strangling his wife’s neck. He also admitted pulling his wife’s hair and hit her with pillows before.

The victim suffered a contusion on the forehead, while the 2-month old baby had minor contusion on the head. They were treated at the Tinian Health Center.

At Aldan’s initial court appearance yesterday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho granted chief public defender Douglas Hartig’s request to release defendant on a $5,000 unsecured bond with some conditions because he was held in custody for more than 24 hours.

Camacho said the law requires that an arrested person be brought to court within 24 hours when the court is open for business.

The judge said for violation of such law, the court may release defendant upon such terms as the court may deem just and in accordance with the law.

Arraignment will be on Sept. 9 at 9am at the Tinian Courthouse.

Assistant attorney general Chester Hinds appeared for the government.

Tinian Department of Public Safety Police Officer Barbara K. Arend stated in her report that last Aug. 17 at 6:40pm, the victim called DPS emergency line for assistance because her husband beat her up.

The victim told responding police officers that Aldan came home drunk and they got into an argument.

To avoid violence, she left the house, leaving their two children because of heavy rain. Aldan followed in a car with the children. He cut in front of his wife, blocking her way and told her to get in.

When the wife got into the car, Aldan sped off and drove recklessly, jerking the car from side to side.

While shouting they all are going to die, Aldan did not slow down when they entered the Suicide Cliff parking lot. He drove up the curb and only hit the brakes when they were about to slam into the wall that protects people from falling down the cliff.

The wife said she was so scared, thinking they could not make it and go over the cliff. As she was taking their children out of the car, Aldan abruptly backed up the car, causing their 3-year-old son to fall close to the car’s wheel.

The wife screamed thinking that their son was hit by the car. Aldan approached and strangled her neck, hit her head with an object. Aldan, however, accidentally hit the head of their 2-month-old baby.

As they were aboard the car, Aldan sped off the vehicle all the way home.

The wife said Aldan would hurt her before whenever he was drunk and in a bad mood, but the last incident was the worst ever.