A man on trial for threatening to harm a woman and her children was found guilty in the Superior Court of Guam Tuesday afternoon.

It took a jury two and a half hours to return with a guilty verdict against Ben Castro Crisostomo, 29, convicting him of aggravated assault, terrorizing, child abuse, and family violence.

He faces up to 12 years in prison.

As we reported, Crisostomo was arrested earlier this year after he refused to let a woman known to him, an infant, and 2-year-old child, and 75-year-old woman leave the home.

Police noted the woman was forced to use a hammer to hit Crisostomo in an effort to protect her family from the attack.

Attorney General Douglas Moylan called the verdict a victory against criminals who injure our most vulnerable.

“April is the Month of the Crime Victim. With guilty verdicts against violent criminals, we continue to set the new tone of tough prosecutions seeking tough sentences to deter criminals,” said AG Moylan. “This case is especially egregious because evidence was presented that once again drug use preceded innocent women and children being terrorized and assaulted, which included this coward picking up a 2-year-old girl by the throat with one hand and throwing her against a wall, then smothering her with a pillow causing vomiting. Then this animal slammed her infant sister on a bed and twirled the baby whilst taunting her mother.”

Crisostomo, through defense attorney Peter Santos, shared that he was disappointed and maintains his innocence.

“It was Mr. Crisostomo who was struck in the head twice with a large hammer while he was sleeping by the alleged victim and his skull was fractured,” said Santos. “It was a ‘he said, she said case’ and although the alleged victim changed her story at least ten times to police and medical staff, and contradicted herself countless times on the witness stand, she became very emotional and must have appeared sympathetic to the jury. The physical evidence in the case all negated her very wild claims, however at the end of the day the jury felt sorry for her.”

Defense contends there were some highly improper statements made by the prosecutor in the courtroom, adding Crisostomo plans to move for a judgment of acquittal or declare a mistrial before taking his fight up for appeal in the Supreme Court of Guam.