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$20K bail for man who allegedly punched girlfriend
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Posted on Oct 16 2020
The Superior Court imposed a $20,000 cash bail on a man who allegedly punched his girlfriend several times.
Superior Court Associate Judge Wesley Bogdan imposed a $20,000 cash bail on Florencio Quitugua Richards, 42, who is accused of punching his girlfriend many times and using a piece of metal to hit one of the tires of her vehicle.
Richards was remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections after the hearing last Tuesday, and was ordered to return to court for arraignment on Oct. 20, at 9am.
Richards was previously convicted in the U.S. District Court for the NMI for distributing methamphetamine or “ice” while employed as a police officer. In 2011, he was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
During the preliminary hearing, Bogdan found probable cause to charge Richards with assault and battery, tampering with vehicle (criminal mischief), and disturbing the peace but no probable cause on the charge of vandalism.
Richards was represented by chief public defender Douglas Hartig while assistant attorney general Steve Kessel appeared for the government.
According to court documents, early morning of Oct. 5, 2020, Richards and his girlfriend had arrived at her apartment and they were arguing after coming from a bar.
The girlfriend told police that when she told Richards to go to his mother’s house, he started kicking the door and after the third time, he broke it.
The victim said she tried to hold the door but Richards pushed it so hard that she stumbled and fell on the couch.
She told police that Richards then punched her on the forehead and kept punching her about 10 times.
She said when she put up her two hands to block his punches, Richards then punched her hands.
Her two teenage sons eventually pushed Richards out of the apartment.
Witnesses told police that Richards then used a piece of metal to hit one of the tires of her car.
