$100K bail for man who allegedly fired pistol in Garapan

Norman Kapileo

The NMI Superior Court has imposed a $100,000 cash bail on a man accused of firing a pistol in Garapan in the heat of an argument with another man.

During a bail hearing last Monday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho imposed a $100,000 cash bail on Norman Desebel Kapileo, 48, on the charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.

Kapileo, who was remanded back to Department of Corrections custody immediately after the bail hearing, was ordered to return to court on Nov. 17 at 10am for a preliminary hearing. His arraignment was also set for Nov. 29, at 9am before Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja.

The Office of the Public Defender’s Karie Comstock was appointed by the court to represent Kapileo during the hearing while James Houston from the Office of the Attorney General represented the government.

According to court documents, Department of Public Safety officers responded last Nov. 4 at approximately 10:48pm to a report of possible gunshots in an abandoned apartment in Garapan.

At the scene, police spoke with the alleged victim, Peter Aldan. He told police that Kapileo came to the abandoned building looking for another individual but when Aldan said he did not know where the other individual was, Kapileo got mad and pulled a gun out of his pocket and “pistol whipped” him.

Police noted that the person Kapileo was looking for had a fight with Kapileo’s brother on Nov. 3.

The victim told police that when he realized that it was a gun that Kapileo was holding, he reached for it and held Kapileo’s right arm and wrist in an attempt to take the gun away from him, prompting Kapileo to shoot a round.

The victim said he continued struggling with Kapileo as he tried to take the gun away from the suspect. The victim stated he even bit Kapileo’s finger in an effort to take the gun away.

During the struggle, the victim said three or four more shots were fired, but he did not recall which direction it was fired.

The victim stated that when he and Kapileo fell to the ground, he hit Kapileo’s hand hard enough and the gun flew out of his hand, landing far south from where they had fallen.

Kapileo then fled the scene with the firearm before police arrived.

The next day, Nov. 5, a complaint/affidavit in support of an arrest warrant was prepared by police for Kapileo. At about 2:58 pm., that same day, Camacho signed and issued an arrest warrant for Kapileo for the charges of disturbing the peace, assault and battery, and assault with a dangerous weapon with bail set at $100,000.

At about 2:58pm that day, police arrested Kapileo in a parking lot in Gualo Rai. He was brought to Kanoa Resort for clearance and transported to DOC where he was booked and detained.