Man in Kagman standoff pleads guilty, gets 6 mos.

A former archaeologist accused of staging a seven-hour standoff with authorities and threatening to kill two women last year pleaded guilty yesterday in Superior Court and was sentenced to six months in prison.

Herman C. Tudela Jr. and his counsel, Joaquin Torres, signed a plea agreement with the government. He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest in the standoff case and to assault and battery and disturbing the peace in the other case.

Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho sentenced Tudela to the maximum six months in prison for each charge. The sentences shall run concurrently, which means the actual prison term for both cases is six months. Tudela, 40, was given credit for 33 days of time served.

Tudela was required to attend counseling as recommended by the Community Guidance Center while incarcerated.
Tudela apologized to the victims, authorities, his family, and to the court for the crimes that he committed. He promised not to commit crimes anymore.

Tudela’s daughter and minor son, who were both crying, hugged him before a court marshal brought him to the Department of Corrections to start serving his sentence.

Camacho denied Tudela’s request to be allowed to spend time with his family for a week before serving his sentence, saying that DOC is not a hotel where you can check in and check out any time. Camacho told Tudela he should understand he is being punished for his crimes.

Interim chief prosecutor Brian Flaherty stated that, according to the factual basis of the plea deal, Tudela drove up his vehicle to the residence of Luticia Bowie on July 24, 2013, shouting profanities at her home.

At that time, Flaherty said, Bowie was inside the house with her child. Tudela threatened to kill everyone in the house.

That same day, Tudela yelled profanities and threats of violence at the home of Melva Tadeo, who was sitting in the garage of her home with her son.

Flaherty said that after these incidents were reported to police and an arrest warrant was issued for Tudela that same day, Tudela resisted efforts of law enforcement officers to execute that warrant by preventing them access to his home via threat of force.

The Office of the Attorney General charged Tudela with assault with a dangerous weapon, obstructing justice, and resisting arrest. In the second case, the OAG charged him with three counts of assault and three counts of disturbing the peace.

As part of the plea bargain, OAG dropped the remaining charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and obstructing justice in one case and two counts of assault and two counts of disturbing the peace.

The seven-hour standoff on July 24 and 25, 2013, ended when members of the Department of Public Safety’s Tactical Response Enforcement Team swooped into the house and arrested Tudela and rescued his 10-year-old son.

Tudela allegedly refused to be served with an arrest warrant and instead barricaded himself inside his house.

The arrest warrant stemmed from an incident earlier that day of July 24 when Tudela, allegedly in fit of jealousy, threatened to kill a neighbor and her family.