By Jacob Nakamura
Ypao Road 76/Circle K employee Jesse John Castro acted quickly to protect a woman, who fled from her boyfriend into the gas station early Monday morning yelling, "Help me! Help me! He's gonna hurt me! He's gonna kill me!" Mr. Castro locked the doors, and the woman hid behind him behind the counter.
The woman's boyfriend, Patrick Billy Seiola, 27, rushed up to the locked doors of the station, banged on the glass, and yelled for Mr. Castro to open the door.
When police arrived, they found Mr. Seiola and noticed he was sweating profusely and his eyes were blood shot, according to prosecutor Christine Tenorio's declaration of probable cause against Mr. Seiola. He refused to take a standardized field sobriety test, a breath test, and a blood test. Officers checked his car, and found an open can of Budweiser with condensation on the outside. The key was in the ignition, and the engine was still running.
She "was distraught and crying as she told the officer that Seiola had punched her repeatedly in the face, bitten her neck and shoulder blade, and bitten her right hand," Ms. Tenorio wrote in the magistrates complaint. "At one point, [she] attempted to escape the truck, but Seiola restrained her by grabbing and holding onto her hair. [She] was finally able to get away from Seiola when he pulled into the Circle K and let go of her hair. At that point she ran into the Circle K and asked Castro to lock the door and call 911."
Police officers said she had visible bite marks on her neck, shoulder blades, and left hand, and a cut to her middle finger of her left hand. Her hand was bleeding, and she had a black eye, which was swelling shut as the police officer was interviewing her. She was taken to Guam Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Police arrested Mr. Seiola, and Ms. Tenorio is throwing the book at him by bringing charges of third degree aggravated assault and third degree family violence as felonies, and misdemeanor charges of family violence, unlawful restraint, and drinking while driving a motor vehicle.
If you happen by the 76/Circle K gas station on Ypao Road soon, don't forget to thank Mr. Castro for caring enough to help this woman. And if you know this woman, make it a point to tell her she did the right thing to get out of that car, run from her boyfriend, and call for help.
