by Mindy Aguon

Guam - The prosecution presented the evidence it had from the tragedy in Tumon to a superior court grand jury that returned formal criminal charges against 21-year-old Chad Ryan Desoto. De Soto has formally been charged with three counts of aggravated murder and 12 counts of attempted aggravated murder each with a special allegation of possession and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

The charges handed down in an indictment returned from a superior court grand jury today stem from last Tuesday's rampage in the island's tourism epicenter. Police have said that De Soto sped onto the sidewalk in front of the Sandcastle and struck six pedestrians before he crashed into the ABC Store, got out and stabbed eight others.

Three Japanese tourists died from injuries they sustained from Desoto's actions. 81-year-old Haruko Uehara and 28-year-old Rie Sugiyama died from stab wounds, while 51-year-old Hitosi Yokota died from injuries he sustained when he was struck by Desoto's car.

Sugiyama and Uehara were on Guam to attend a relative's wedding.

Eyewitnesses said Sugiyama was holding her 8-month-old daughter and tending to Uehara, who had already been stabbed when Desoto came up and stabbed her repeatedly. Although there were 14 victims, 11 of whom were injured, Desoto is charged with 12 counts of attempted murder.

Court documents explain that the baby girl was in her stroller when she was first hit by Desoto's car. The baby became a victim a second time while in her mother's arms when she was stabbed in the face.

Desoto is being held on $3 million cash bail and was transferred from the Hagatna Detention Facility to the Mangilao Facility. Department of Corrections spokesperson Lieutenant Antone Aguon confirms that the move was ordered by the department's psychologist who wanted him moved closer to her office for continuous monitoring. Aguon added that Desoto has been meeting with the psychologist on a daily basis and is being held in the Medical Unit in a cell by himself.

He is scheduled to answer to the criminal charges during an arraignment scheduled for next Wednesday before Magistrate Judge Alberto Tolentino at 1pm.