$10k bail set for man accused of assaulting ex-GF

The Superior Court has imposed a $10,000 cash bail on a man accused of assaulting his former girlfriend and tampering with her car all for a cellphone.  

Last Monday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho imposed a $10,000 cash bail on Franco Estevan Castro Igisaiar for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend and damaging her car last Saturday because she had his cellphone. 

Igisaiar, 23, is currently facing charges of assault, assault and battery, tampering with a vehicle, and disturbing the peace.

Following the bail hearing last Monday, Igisaiar was remanded back to Department of Corrections custody and was ordered to return to court on Sept. 28, at 10am for a preliminary hearing. Meanwhile his arraignment was set for Oct. 3, at 9 am before Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja.

During the hearing, assistant public defender Vina Seelam was appointed to represent Igisaiar while assistant attorney general Frances Demapan appeared for the government.

According to court documents, the victim in this case told police that she shares two children with Igisaiar and although they have been separated for the last three months, they kept in touch up until the night of the incident. 

On the night of the incident, the victim said Igisaiar had informed her that he would be going out to play darts at a bar before heading home. However, when he hadn’t answered her calls, the victim said she started to worry. 

Later, the woman said someone from a bar answered Igisaiar’s cellphone stating that Igisaiar had left his phone behind leading her to take her 9-month-old child, drive to the bar, and pick up Igisaiar’s cellphone at around 4am. 

However, as she was about to drive off from the bar, Igisaiar flagged her vehicle, prompting her to turn around. 

When she pulled up near Igisaiar, the victim rolled down her passenger window and told him to get in the car so she could drop him home but he allegedly refused.

She said Igisaiar started “getting mad” and telling her that he would “hit her head” with a beer bottle if she didn’t give him back his phone. 

The victim added that Igisaiar was also banging a yellow Yeti can cooler against the passenger side window before throwing it at her, which allegedly left a bump on the right side of her head.

According to the police, the victim provided video footage of Igisaiar throwing the can cooler at her. 

She said Igisaiar then told her to give him his phone back and threatened her with a beer bottle again.  

The victim said Igisaiar eventually got inside the passenger side of the vehicle and started shouting, kicking, and punching the interior of the vehicle.

She added that Igisaiar was shouting at her and telling her to leave while kicking her car dashboard, windshield, air-conditioning vents, gear shifter, and touch screen for the radio panel, damaging them.

She said Igisaiar also ripped off the rear-view mirror and used his left hand to try and slap her face, but she blocked it with her right hand before he exited the vehicle.