Self-defense at center of Guillermin manslaughter trial

Prosecutors and defense attorneys offered conflicting accounts of the fatal confrontation between Jeremy Guillermin and Alvin Rebamba as Guillermin's manslaughter trial began last Oct. 19 in Superior Court.

Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds told jurors that Guillermin punched Rebamba outside Relox Bar in Garapan on Nov. 16, 2025, causing him to fall backward and strike his head on the concrete. Rebamba never regained consciousness and died four days later.

Defense attorney Brien Sers Nicholas countered that Rebamba initiated the confrontation and that Guillermin acted in self-defense.

Hinds said surveillance footage would show Rebamba was not aggressive toward Guillermin and had sought help from a passing police officer before the fatal punch.

Guillermin shook his head during portions of Hinds' opening statement.

Rebamba's family attended the proceedings dressed in shades of black, with his mother seen wiping away tears.

During his opening statement, Sers Nicholas asked Guillermin to stand so jurors could see his diminutive stature. He described his client as weighing about 120 lbs.

“We shouldn’t be here,” Sers Nicolas said.

“Who provoked who?” he asked, arguing that Rebamba, whose blood alcohol concentration he placed at 0.283, had picked a fight with Guillermin.

The defense attorney said Rebamba followed Guillermin outside the bar, approached a police officer, and returned to confront his client. Guillermin nodded as Sers Nicholas described Rebamba pushing him.

Sers Nicholas acknowledged that Guillermin punched Rebamba but maintained that he acted to defend himself. He also suggested Rebamba's intoxication contributed to his fall.

“He was coming after Jeremy,” Sers Nicolas said.

He urged jurors to closely examine surveillance footage from nearby Safe House, which he said supported the defense's account.

“This case is not what the government calls an open and shut case,” Sers Nicolas said. “Far from it.”

Guillermin faces charges of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and battery, and obstructing justice. The obstruction charge stems from allegations that he fled a police vehicle while handcuffed following his arrest.

Following opening statements, a Department of Public Safety officer testified about retrieving surveillance footage from Relox Bar.

Ric Lee, owner and manager of SafeHouse, testified about his establishment's surveillance system and the footage he provided investigators.

Detective Myron Laniyo, the third prosecution witness, gave the most extensive testimony, presenting photographs of the crime scene and guiding jurors through surveillance recordings from both establishments.

Laniyo identified the bar's entrances, camera locations, and the area where Rebamba was found after the confrontation.

He reviewed footage showing Guillermin and Rebamba socializing separately before speaking to each other inside the bar. The prosecution then presented exterior recordings depicting their movements and the confrontation that followed.

Laniyo also discussed Guillermin's statements to investigators, including his claim that Rebamba wanted to fight him.

The detective read a written apology attributed to Guillermin in which he expressed remorse to Rebamba's family.

The trial is being heard by six jurors and two alternates selected Monday before Superior Court Presiding Judge Joseph N. Camacho.

Camacho reminded jurors that opening statements are not evidence and that Guillermin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.