Judge places man on home detention for 2 more months

The federal court has ordered Ryan Taitano Babauta to be detained at home for two more months.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona said last week that Babauta must be restricted to his home at all times except for employment, education, religious services, medical, substance or mental health treatment, or court appearances.
She also required Babauta to perform 20 hours of community service.

The judge handed down the home detention sentence after dismissing without prejudice the U.S. Probation’s petition to revoke Babauta’s supervised release. This means U.S. Probation may re-file the petition in the future.

According to the minutes of the hearing, the parties have met and U.S. Probation recommended to impose two more months of location monitoring on Babauta and the U.S. government will move to dismiss the petition without any admission from the defendant.

Attorney Michael Dotts, counsel for Babauta, said Babauta’s family was present in the courtroom and that they agreed with the possible disposition.

U.S. Probation asked the federal court to revoke Babauta’s supervised release after he was arrested last month for domestic violence.

According to probation officer Gregory F. Arriola, Babauta allegedly committed a new criminal offense after he was arrested last Oct. 3 by local police for assault and battery, disturbing the peace, and domestic violence.

Arriola said Babauta allegedly slapped the face of his sister during an argument over a car at their residence in Kagman II last Oct. 3.

Arriola said according to a police report, the sister stated she lost her vision for a while and almost fell when Babauta slapped her in the face with his right hand.

She also stated that she felt dizzy and unable to hear for a short while.

She alleged that Babauta also tried to hit her with a broomstick, but their mother and his girlfriend stopped him.

On Dec. 29, 2015, Manglona revoked Babauta’s supervised release and ordered him to spend six months in prison and six months of home detention for using methamphetamine or “ice” and violating other probation conditions.

Manglona then placed Babauta on 40 months of supervised release.

The court revoked Babauta’s probation at least twice in the past for using “ice” and violating other probation conditions.

Babauta was among seven prisoners who staged a 14-hour hostage drama at the Department of Corrections in Susupe in March 2009. At the time, he was serving a prison term for voluntary manslaughter over the killing of a Bangladeshi national in Chalan Kanoa.