Woman badly hurt in home invasion

A man being investigated for rape was arrested Friday for allegedly breaking into a house in San Vicente and beating up and hitting a woman with an object, causing her serious injuries.

Alonzo Uchol Pedro Jr., 20, was served with an arrest warrant in Garapan for assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, disturbing the peace, burglary, and criminal mischief.

At a hearing yesterday, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $100,000 cash bail for Pedro’s temporary release.

Preliminary hearing will be on Aug. 5 at 1:30pm.

A doctor at the Commonwealth Health Center told police that the victim, an Asian woman, sustained blunt force injuries, laceration and bruises on the right side of her head, and abrasions on her left bicep and back. The cut on her head required six stitches, her middle finger nail almost came off, her left arm was bruised, and had scratches on the back, as well as neck pain.

Police detective Elias Q. Saralu stated in his report that when a detective showed her a photo line-up, the victim immediately identified Pedro. She was reportedly shaking and looked very scared. A detective had to tell the victim several times to breathe, relax, and calm down.

Saralu said that two police officers were dispatched to the Bay View Apartment in San Vicente last July 20 at 5:41am, for an injured person case. When the officers arrived at the apartment, medics were already attending to the victim.

During an interview with a detective the following day, the victim related that she was sleeping on the couch in the living room of her apartment between 5:30am to 6am when she heard a noise coming from outside the front door.

When the victim looked out from the living room window, she saw a man who was later identified as Pedro, trying to open the front door of her apartment.

As he was trying to open the door, Pedro kept asking the victim if he could use her telephone. The victim told him to go away or she would call the police.

Pedro, however, managed to break the front door. As she was grabbing her cell phone to call the police, the suspect ran behind her, choked her and covered her mouth.

The victim bit Pedro’s left arm, but he continued choking her. She was screaming for help during the struggle that lasted about five to 10 minutes.

Pedro then hit the victim’s head with an object, causing her to lose consciousness. When she regained consciousness after a few seconds, she saw Pedro pick something up from the ground and ran away.

A male neighbor then arrived to assist the victim. By that time, Pedro had already fled toward the main road.

The victim told police that prior to the incident, she saw Pedro twice roaming in the parking lot of the apartment and then disappearing into a trail in the bushy area.

On July 22, police showed the victim a photo line-up that included Pedro, who was investigated for a rape case that happened in San Vicente in June. Without hesitation, the victim positively identified Pedro as the one who attacked her, Saralu said.

Saipan Tribune learned that in May 2012, Pedro, who was then 18, was arrested for allegedly breaking into a house of a female teenager in Chalan Laulau at 3:37am.