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Camacho’s co-defendant pleads not guilty
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Posted on Jan 04 2022
Vicente Camacho
One of Rep. Vicente Camacho’s (D-Saipan) co-defendants in an assault case has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Tiepo A. Nikiti, 21, one of the men who allegedly helped Camacho assault another man last October 2021, pleaded not guilty before Superior Court presiding judge Roberto Naraja.
The judge ordered Nikiti, who appeared out of custody, to return for a status conference on Feb. 1, at 1:30pm before Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio.
Similar the Precinct 3 representative, Nikiti has also been charged with assault and battery and disturbing the peace for allegedly assaulting Steven Koch last Oct. 29, on Freedom Drive, Chinatown.
According to the official charging documents filed in court, Nikiti is one of the men accused of helping Camacho assault Koch while he was on a walk with his daughter on the evening of Oct. 29.
The other individual who was also accused of assaulting Koch is reported to be a 14-year-old juvenile.
Camacho, 60, was arrested by the Department of Public Safety on the evening of Nov. 2, 2021, but he immediately posted $1,250 cash bail and is out of custody.
Due to the alleged assault, Koch reportedly suffered abrasions, bruising, and pain on his head and body from the blows, and was taken to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. for examination.
On Nov. 1, Koch, his wife and daughter asked the Superior Court to issue a temporary restraining order prohibiting Camacho, Nikiti, Ignacio “Ike” S. Concepcion and Fiel Reynaldo Ortiz from engaging in any further physical harm, disturbance, harassment, blocking, threats and verbal abuse.
On Nov. 12, Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho found cause for domestic violence, and issued a temporary restraining order and one-year protective order against Camacho, Nikiti, Concepcion, and Ortiz.
The assault incident is believed to have stemmed from a longstanding animosity between Koch and his brother-in-law, Concepcion.
