$5K bail imposed on man with multiple vandalism cases

The Superior Court has decided to keep the initial $5,000 cash bail that was imposed on a man who allegedly committed a series of vandalisms across Saipan last Sept. 15, 2020..

Lucas Taitano Manglona, 41, remains in the custody of the Department of Corrections after failing to post a bail of $5,000 that was initially imposed by Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo.
Manglona is charged with one count of vandalism but Govendo said he wants to keep the bail at $5,000 due to the severity of Manglona’s alleged crimes.

Manglona allegedly vandalized parked vehicles at the DPA Car Mart in San Antonio, the Hyatt Regency Saipan, Tasi Homes in Susupe, Micro Beach Pavilion, and the New CK Market.

Manglona will have a preliminary hearing on Sept. 23 at 9am and will be arraigned on Oct. 5 at 9am.

According to court documents, police received a call on Sept. 15 at around 2:10am reporting a vandalism incident at the New CK Market. At the scene, the caller, who was serving as a translator for the victim, said the victim saw a shirtless man who was wearing a pair of shorts take a piece of broken concrete and hit the victim’s car with it.

Police reviewed surveillance footage from the market and identified the man as Manglona.

On the same day, police received multiple complaints about vehicle damage in the areas west of New CK Market, the direction that Manglona was last seen headed by the first caller.

Department of Public Safety records state that Manglona had been arrested multiple times in the past for throwing rocks at cars or at people and for damaging property.

Back in May, DPS officers responded to a vandalism complaint at the Hyatt Regency Saipan in Garapan. The eyewitness who identified Manglona said he was seen urinating outside the hotel and when he was asked to leave, he threw rocks at the hotel staff.

Back in August, DPS responded to a disturbance call at the DPA Car Mart and the caller stated that a shirtless man, later identified as Manglona, was seen slapping the window of a parked car then picked up a rock and threw it at the car window three times.

Also, in August, police responded to a similar complaint and surveillance footage showed Manglona hitting a car parked outside the Tasi Homes with a metal pipe. The complainant said that wasn’t the first time Manglona damaged a vehicle in their residence.

Early in September, Manglona was also reported to have been seen damaging cars along the Micro Beach Pavilion by detaching side mirrors from vehicles.