Man gets 30-mos. sentence for attacking wife with knife

An ex-convict was slapped with a prison sentence of two years and six months for attacking his common-law wife with a knife shortly after a family’s Valentine’s Day celebration and causing another disturbance at her house. Both incidents happened in 2012.

In a written judgment issued Friday, Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo ordered Lee Jesse Omar Reyes to serve the entire sentence without the possibility of parole.

Upon completing his prison term, the 27-year-old Reyes will be placed on supervised probation for eight years. He was required to pay $480 in restitution to another victim, Austin Dela Cruz, a $1,000 fine, $100 court costs, and $800 in probation fees.

“If available, Reyes shall complete anger management counseling again, a parenting class again, and drug and alcohol treatment again while in custody,” Govendo said.

In the 2012 case, the Office of the Attorney General charged Reyes with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, criminal mischief, and disturbing the peace.

In the 2013 case, the OAG charged him with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of violating a protective order, and two counts of disturbing the peace.

Reyes and counsel, assistant public defender Benjamin Petersburg, signed a plea deal with the government, represented by assistant attorney general Chemere McField.

Reyes pleaded guilty on Jan. 2 to assault with a dangerous weapon and criminal mischief in the 2012 case. He pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, criminal contempt, and violating a protective order in the 2013 case. He also conceded that he violated the terms of his probation in 2009 and 2005 criminal cases.

As part of the plea deal, the OAG moved to dismiss all other counts. The court granted the motion.

In total, Govendo imposed a prison sentence of nine years and seven months, all suspended except for two years and six months. Reyes was given credit for 11 months and 19 days of time served.

According to the plea deal, Reyes attacked his then common-law wife with a knife and stabbed one of her car tires on Feb. 14, 2012, on Saipan.

Police said that Reyes accused the victim of having an affair.

On Dec. 30, 2012, Reyes violated a court’s order that prohibited him from contacting his common-law wife. Reyes went to his wife’s home at 5am, banged on the front door, yelled threats, woke up her children, disturbed the neighbors, and threw a cement block through the back windshield of Austin Dela Cruz’s pickup truck, shattering two of its windows.

On June 1, 2010, Reyes entered a guilty plea in the 2005 and 2009 criminal cases and was sentenced to five months in prison and placed on three years of probation.

As part of his conviction, Reyes was ordered to stay away from the victim and to obey all CNMI and federal laws. The defendant has since been arrested in the 2012 and 2013 cases for having contact with the victim, disturbing her peace and causing damage to personal property.