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Probable cause found to charge man accused of sexually abusing 2 minors
Probable cause has been found to charge a 49-year-old man with sexual abuse of two girls.
At a preliminary hearing yesterday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho found probable cause to believe that the crimes of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree and one count of disturbing the peace were committed and that Miguel Cecilio Arrozal may have committed the offenses.
No probable cause was found on the offense of disturbing the peace as there was no testimony on the elements of that offense.
The judge dismissed the disturbing the peace charge without prejudice, which means the prosecution may re-file that charge in the future.
Assistant attorney general Teri Tenorio, counsel for the government, called to the witness stand police detective Catherine B. Pangelinan, who is the officer-in-charge of the case.
Assistant public defender Jamal Saleh served as counsel for Arrozal.
Arraignment will be on July 31 at 9am.
It was the second preliminary hearing. At the first preliminary hearing last week, Camacho found no probable cause to charge Arrozal after Tenorio failed to ask the witness in the case any questions as to two counts of disturbing the peace.
Camacho said Tenorio also failed to ask the witness any questions as to the identification of Arrozal and his age.
The OAG re-filed the case that same day.
Arrozal is accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old girl between May 1, 2017 and June 3, 2017 on Saipan.
