2 DOC officers arrested for police brutality

Police arrested on Friday the two Department of Corrections officers who were investigated for police brutality after they allegedly beat up an inmate inside his cell at DOC in Susupe last April 1.

Corrections Officer Ray Anthony Maratita Camacho, 36, was arrested after he surrendered to the Department of Public Safety in Susupe at 8:20am.

Corrections Officer Admisen Dasio Haddy, 48, was arrested in As Lito at 10:55am.

Camacho and Haddy were taken to the Superior Court on Friday afternoon for bail hearing on charges of assault and battery and disturbing the peace.

Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho granted assistant attorney general Betsy Weintraub’s motion to keep the $6,000 cash bail initially imposed on the defendants in the arrest warrant.

Attorney Judy Torres was appointed as counsel for Haddy.

Assistant public defender Cindy Nesbit, the court-appointed counsel for defendant Camacho, asked the court to allow her client to be temporarily released to a third party custodian upon posting $600 or 10 percent of the $6,000 cash.

Nesbit was then seen talking with defendant’s father, CNMI Board of Parole chairman Ramon B. Camacho, and defendant’s wife, who were both in the courtroom.

Weintraub objected to granting “special treatment” to defendant Camacho by holding a bail modification right away when the government has yet to talk with the alleged victim about the matter.

Weintraub noted that the allegations against the defendants were that they abused their authority as DOC officers when they beat up the inmate.

Judge Camacho then set the bail modification hearing for defendant Camacho at 3:30pm that day, Friday.

Nesbit was ordered to file a motion for bail modification.

At the 3:30pm bail medication hearing, Judge Camacho allowed the temporary release of defendant Camacho to his wife as third-party custodian upon posting $600 cash or 10 percent of $6,000 cash.

Weintraub did not oppose releasing defendant Camacho to his wife as third-party custodian.

Preliminary hearing will be on June 24 at 9am and arraignment will be on June 27 at 9am for both defendants.

Police Detective Catherine B. Pangelinan stated in her report that last April 1 at 10:28pm, Corrections Sgt. Joaquin Sablan called DPS and requested a patrol officer to entertain a detainee’s complaint for assault and battery.

At 10:45pm that day, Police Officer Paul Ichihara responded to DOC and met with the complainant, 33-year-old Ryan Cavalear, who alleged that DOC officers Camacho and Haddy beat him up.

Ichihara noticed red marks on Cavalear’s neck, wrist, and arm. A crime scene technician took photos of Cavalear’s injuries.

Pangelinan said that last April 4, DOC Commissioner Georgia Cabrera called her for assistance to follow up Cavalear’s complaint.

Pangelinan said according to DOC commissioner Cabrera, Cavalear’s attorney requested for surveillance footage of his client’s assault.

Pangelinan said she proceeded to DOC, where she met with two DOC officers assigned with the internal affairs.

Pangelinan said the two DOC officers showed her the surveillance camera’s footage of the alleged beating that happened at pod 2 exit door inside DOC last April 1.

Pangelinan said according to Cavalear, Haddy hit him with his left knee on his right shoulder.

Camacho strangled Cavalear, then slammed the latter’s face on the floor twice, causing his lips to bleed.

Cavalear kept saying, “stop please” because he’s not resisting and his back hurts.

Cavalear said he was dragged out of his cell and there was another detainee, who witnessed the incident.

Cavalear said he told Camacho and Haddy to stop because his spine hurts, as he is an Army veteran and broke his back during his military service.

Officer Camacho, however, allegedly told Cavalear that he is not a veteran but a [expletive] virgin.

Cavalear said he told them to stop, but Camacho and Haddy instead slammed his head to the steel door.

Haddy allegedly stepped on his left foot and Camacho punched his face.

Detective Pangelinan said Cavalear asked her to review the surveillance camera’s footage because he saw a camera facing them while he was attacked by the defendants.

Sources said Camacho and Haddy had been assigned to the administrative section at DOC after the incident and prior to their arrest.

Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio issued the arrest warrant last week.

The two DOC officers allegedly applied “excessive force” when Cavalear asked for medication for pain and kept on shouting.

After a confrontation, the two DOC officers allegedly beat up Cavalear inside his cell at the pod 2 area.

Cavalear was arrested last March 10 for allegedly using a forged check to buy grocery items at Jin Li Store in Dandan.

The Office of the Attorney General charged him with theft and forgery.

Last March 23, Superior Court then-Associate Judge David A. Wiseman slapped Cavalear with five months imprisonment for pleading guilty to theft.

Cavalear was given credit of 12 days for time served. His sentence was consecutive to the prison term in his 2014 case conviction.

In December 2014, Cavalear was arrested after he allegedly pushed a female employee of New Chang Ming Store in Garapan for trying to stop him from stealing 12 cans of beer that he placed in the bottom compartment of a baby stroller.

Court records indicated “unknown” Cavalear’s nationality.