People v. Camacho

Superior Court of Guam·Decided April 22, 2026·No. CF0705-25·Unknown

Opinion

r-•1•L t.r--,-,U r CLERf< OF COURT

5 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF GUAM 6

7 THE PEOPLE OF GUAM CRIMINAL CASE NO. CF0705-25 8 Plaintiff, 9 vs. DECISION AND ORDER

11 JERRY NAUTA CAMACHO 12 Defendant. 13

14 INTRODUCTION 15 Two trips to the same store, two alleged thefts, and now two legal questions. The People 16 charge these incidents as separate felony counts. Defendant Camacho argues they reflect a 17 single course of conduct and that the government has not met its discovery obligations. These 18 disputes require the court to address both double-jeopardy principles and the scope of 19 mandatory disclosure. This order resolves both issues. Attorney Heather Quitugua represents 20 Defendant Camacho. Present for the People of Guam was Assistant Attorney General Neil 21 Bonavita. 22

23 BACKGROUND

24 This criminal case stems from alleged retail-theft activity at a Tamuning retai 25 establishment and the parties' ensuing discovery obligations. On October 4, 2025, the People o 26 Guam commenced this action by charging Defendants Jerry Nauta Camacho, Renee San Agusti 27 Bermudes, and Christopher John Pinon of two counts of Retail Theft (as a third-degree felony). 28 Decision and Order CF0705-25; The People of Guam vs. Jerry Nau ta Camacho

See, Mag. Compl., (Oct. 4, 2025). The complaint alleges that on or about September 21, 2025,

2 each knowingly took merchandise from Happy Mart in Tamuning valued at more than $500 bu

3 less than $1,500, with the intent to permanently deprive the merchant of its property, in violatio 4 of 9 G.C.A. §§ 43.91(a), 43.20(b), 43.30(a), and 4.60. Id. 5 A grand jury later returned an Indictment on October 14, 2025. See, Indictment, (Oct. 14, 6

7 2025). The Indictment alleges that on or about October 2, 2025, defendants Camacho an

8 Bermudes each committed two counts of Retail Theft by Complicity (as third-degree felonies) b

9 promoting or assisting the commission of retail theft and inducing or aiding co-defendant Pinon

to commit the offense. Id. It further charges Finona with two counts of Retail Theft (as third 11 degree felonies) for knowingly taking merchandise from Happy Mart, Tamuning, value 12

13 between $500 and $1,500, with the intent to permanently deprive the merchant. Id. All counts ar

14 alleged to violate 9 G.C.A. §§ 43.91(a), 43.20(b), 43.30(a), and 4.60. Id. 15 The court set the matter for trial and issued case-management orders govemm 16 discovery. On December 19, 2025, the court entered a Criminal Trial Setting Order requiring the 17 parties to exchange mutual discovery on or before December 31, 2025. See. Criminal Tria 18

19 Setting Order (Dec. 19, 2025).

20 The Defendant stated that, he received police reports GPD Nos. 25-24891 (40 pages) an 21 25-24879 (34 pages), but no photographs, no surveillance footage referenced in the reports, an 22 no Laxamana materials. See Def.'s Br. Supp. Mot. Compel (Jan. 6, 2026). Defense counse 23 represents that she previously requested production of surveillance footage referenced in police 24

25 report 25-24879 at page 19, photographs referenced in that report, recordings of witness

26 questioning, and any plea agreements or understandings with witnesses. Id. 27

Page2of6 Decision and Order CF0705-25; The People of Guam vs. Jeny Nauta Camacho

On January 6, 2026, Defendant Camacho, filed the present Brief in Support of Motion to

2 Compel Discovery, seeking an order requiring the government to disclose additional materials,

3 including surveillance footage, photographs, witness statements, expert materials, an 4 exculpatory or impeachment information. Id. On January 6, 2026, Defendant Camacho filed 5 Motion to Sever. On January 22, 2026 the People did not oppose severing the case and the Cou 6

7 granted Defendant Camacho's motion to sever.

9 DISCUSSION

This order proceeds in two parts. First, it addresses Defendant Camacho's double- 11 jeopardy argument and explains why the two retail-theft counts arise from separate acts under 12

13 People v. Afaisen and the Millard/Acey framework. Second, it turns to Defendant's motion to

14 compel and clarifies the People's continuing disclosure obligations under 8 GCA Chapter 70, 15 including the production-or specific accounting-of materials referenced in police reports and 16 otherwise discoverable under Guam law and Brady. 17 I. The Two Retail-Theft Counts Are Based on Separate Acts. 18

19 The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment, made applicable to Guam by the

20 Organic Act of Guam, provides that no person shall "be subject for the same offence to be twice 21 put in jeopardy of life or limb. People v. Afaisen, 2016 Guam 31112. The Guam Supreme Cou 22 in Afaisen adopted and applied the Millard/Acey factors to determine whether takings are part o 23

24 the same transaction or constitute separate criminal acts. Id. 46-48. Those factors are: th

25 location of the items taken; the lapse of time between the takings; the general and specific inten 26 of the taker; the number of owners of the items taken; and whether intervening events occurred. 27 Id. Applying those factors in Afaisen, the court concluded that the robbery and vehicle theft wer 28

Page 3 of6 Decision and Order CF0705-25; The People of Guam vs. Jeny Nau ta Camacho

part of one uninterrupted episode: the property was taken from the same victim, at the sam

2 location, within moments, and pursuant to a single objective. Id. 50-52. Because the conduct was

3 unitary, the theft-of-a-vehicle conviction had to be dismissed. Id. 4 Here, the Magistrate's Complaint and supporting declaration do not describe a single, 5 uninterrupted theft. It alleges that Defendant Camacho twice participated in retail-theft episodes 6 at Happy Mart in Tamuning, each completed and separated in time. The declaration describes 7

8 two distinct incidents on September 21, 2025 involving the same suspects and vehicle, but no

9 the same criminal episode. In the later incident, occurring between approximately 5: 17 p.m. an

5:24 p.m., store staff observed co-defendant Christopher John Finona exit Happy Mart with 11 shopping cart containing four cases of Ox & Palm corned beef, valued at $715.96, withou 12

13 paying. Staff recovered the merchandise from a blue Toyota Tercel, license plate PIT5304,

14 operated by Camacho and parked outside the store. When confronted, Camacho remained wit

15 the vehicle while Finona and Bermudes fled. Camacho later admitted he drove the suspects to th 16 store, waited in the vehicle while the theft occurred, and transported the stolen merchandis 17 afterward.The declaration also describes an earlier incident that same day in which Pinon 18

19 loaded three cases of Ox & Palm corned beef, valued at $536.97, into a cart while Bermudes

20 concealed the items with her jacket. They exited without paying and placed the merchandise i 21 Camacho's vehicle. Bermudes later admitted the items were sold in Dededo and that th 22 proceeds were used for gasoline and methamphetamine. Camacho likewise admitted he drove th 23 group to Happy Mart and transported the stolen goods on that occasion. 24

25 Although both incidents occurred at the same store and involved the same merchant, the

26 allegations reflect two separate store visits, two separate removals of merchandise, and two 27 completed thefts. Unlike Afaisen, where the thefts occurred within moments as part of on 28

Page 4 of6 Decision and Order CF0705-25; The People of Guam vs. Jeny Nau ta Camacho

continuous episode, the allegations here describe thefts separated by time. Each incident require

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