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Man gets 1-year imprisonment for assault
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Posted on Oct 23 2020
A man who allegedly assaulted a minor member of his household was sentenced to one year in prison.
Michael Lee Borja, who pleaded guilty to one count of assault and battery, was sentenced by Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Naraja to one-year imprisonment, all suspended except for 30 days, for hitting a 12-year-old child.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Borja will serve his 30-day sentence every weekend starting on Oct. 16 to 18, then every weekend until Jan. 15 to 18, 2021.
Assistant public defender Vena Seelam, Borja’s counsel, told the court that he (Borja) would take up residence on Saipan while serving the sentence.
After completing his sentence, Borja will be placed on two-year probation. Naraja also ordered Borja to pay $25 in court costs and a $250 fine.
Naraja scheduled a review hearing for Feb. 12, 2021, at 9am.
Borja was initially charged with child abuse, which is punishable by five years’ imprisonment and $2,000 fine or both.
Assistant attorney general Samantha Vickery represented the government at the sentencing hearing.
Borja, who resides on Tinian, was arrested back in February after he slapped the face of a 12-year-old child and punched the child’s right arm. The child said Borja also pulled her ear and pushed her.
The child added that her father would become a “different person” every time he gets drunk and she did not feel safe around him and did not want to live with him anymore.
In a statement to the police, Borja denied hitting the child, but admitted that he was angry at the victim for closing and locking the door to her room while she was inside with a friend. As punishment, Borja said he spanked the child with a belt and grounded her.
Back in 2014, Borja was arrested for assault and battery when he allegedly pushed his girlfriend and poked her face with his finger when he found her outside their house talking to a neighbor. The girlfriend alleged that Borja pushed her twice, causing her to fall to the floor. Borja then repeatedly asked her what she was doing outside the house and then poked her face with his finger.
