Notorious burglar arrested anew for break-in

Notorious convicted burglar Seiichi Aoki was arrested again for allegedly breaking into a residence on Saipan Sunday night.

In yesterday’s hearing, Superior Court associate judge David A. Wiseman increased Aoki’s $10,000 cash bail to $50,000, considering the criminal history of the 23-year-old suspect.

“You are a repeat offender,” said Wiseman, reading the defendant’s long criminal history.

The judge set the preliminary hearing for June 4 at 9am.

Assistant attorney general Michael N. Evangelista asserted that the government’s position is that the $10,000 cash bail should not be reduced and that it is the court’s discretion whether to increase it.

Evangelista said that Aoki has demonstrated a continuing disregard for the laws of the Commonwealth and the terms and conditions of his probations.

Detective Abraham C. Villagomez stated in his report that on Sunday at 8:41pm the Department of Public Safety’s Central Office received a call from an anonymous caller, reporting that he saw an unidentified person entering a neighbor’s house.

The caller said he heard a loud noise coming from the back of his neighbor’s house and its occupants were not home at that time.

Responding police officers approached the house, but the lights inside were then turned off. One officer noticed that the blinds in one of the windows slightly opened then closed again.

When the officer kicked open the bedroom’s door, which was slightly ajar and asked if anyone was inside, a smiling Aoki came to the door.

Aoki at that time was wearing a baseball cap that he admitted he took from one of the bedrooms.

Police learned that the defendant managed to enter the house through the bathroom window.

Evangelista stated in court documents that on Sept. 13, 2006, Aoki pleaded guilty to burglary in 2006 case and was sentenced to one year in jail, all suspended except for 30 days. Evangelista said the defendant was then placed on probation for three years.

On May 31, 2007, Aoki pleaded guilty to burglary and escape in another 2006 case. He was sentenced to one year in prison, all suspended except for 165 days. He was placed on one-year probation, which is set to expire on May 31, 2008.

Aoki is currently scheduled for a change of plea hearing on June 5, 2008 in another case in 2008. The charges in that case include criminal mischief and riot, according to the prosecutor.